Have you ever had one of those days at work where all you want to do is go home and sleep? Maybe you have gone into the storeroom to grab a surreptitious power nap. Perhaps you have been so tired you have fallen asleep at your desk, much to your colleagues’ amusement and the annoyance of your boss.
The worst that could happen if you are fatigued and work in an office is getting a telling off. If someone works as a truck driver, the consequences of tiredness could be fatal, not only for them but for others around them.
While there are regulations in place to control how many hours truckers can drive, many would argue they are not strict enough. The current administration has relaxed the rules, allowing truckers to work even longer hours with fewer breaks. Many truckers and their unions came out in protest at these changes but to no avail.
Consider your average working day in the office. Most Americans work between eight and nine hours per day. During that time, you probably take a coffee break in the morning, a break for lunch and another coffee break in the afternoon as well as various breaks to chat with your colleagues.
Truck drivers are allowed to work 14 hours per day, of which 11 of those hours can be behind the wheel. They are only required to take a 30-minute break once they have driven for eight hours. If you struggle to stay awake for eight hours in the office, it is no surprise that so many truckers struggle to avoid dozing off at the wheel when forced to drive long hours by their employer.
If a fatigued truck driver crashes into you, seek legal help to claim compensation. Remember: You can’t expect the insurance company to play fair.
