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When was the last time you left on a trip with plenty of sleep? A driver from Tenaha, Texas was in Eloy, Arizona. He had just completed six hours of sleep. He had slept eight hours in El Paso and 14 hours at home in Tenaha before leaving for the trip. His delivery was for Los Angeles and he had plenty of time to make his appointment. However, he fell sleep at mile marker eight on Interstate 8 only a few miles down the road from Eloy.

My question to you: "Is it possible to stack sleep for a future need?" Or put another way, "Is it possible to rest ahead by sleeping in advance of the need for sleep?" It would seem that this driver had plenty of rest to finish out his trip but still, he fell asleep while driving and turned over. His cargo of shelled pecans were scattered over half of Arizona. The tractor and trailer were totaled. With the exception of the normal bumps and bruises, he was not injured.

Several conclusions can be drawn from this accident for all of us:

• Sleep begets sleep. The more you get, the more you want. I still marvel at the fact that you cannot store or stack electricity. It is there for use, but if the energy plant goes down, it is gone. Sleep is available when needed, but it cannot be stored or stacked.
• Sleeping ahead for a change of schedule for a run such as night driving does not always work. For a few hours the first night, it might help, but your body will revert back to its original schedule. It seems that it is best to take an advance nap and then trade out with your co-driver through the change for the first day. The body is then tired and will rest properly thus preparing you to now meet the change head-on.
• Prepare yourself for driving while you are still at home. Start a day prior to leaving by adjusting to your driving schedule on the road. Your family will understand and will appreciate your preparation. Rule of thumb: you give five-they give five-you stay alive.

 

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.