You’ve probably been there — 3 a.m. on an empty stretch of highway, headlights cutting through the dark, music up just to stay awake. You tell yourself, “Just one more hour.”
But that one hour could be the difference between making it home and not making it at all.
During Drowsy Driving Prevention Week® (November 2–8, 2025), the National Sleep Foundation is calling attention to one of the most overlooked dangers in transportation: fatigue behind the wheel.
And for truck and fleet drivers — professionals who spend long hours on the road — this reminder couldn’t come at a better time.
If you caught our recent LinkedIn poll, we asked:
“What time of day do you think drivers are most likely to feel drowsy behind the wheel?”
If you guessed early morning hours, you’re right.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, crash risk spikes between midnight and 6 a.m., when the body’s circadian rhythm naturally dips — and again in the mid-afternoon (2–4 p.m.) when alertness drops for a second time.
That’s when the brain starts releasing signals to rest — not to keep hauling.
So, if you or your team are driving through those windows, you’re fighting biology itself.
Truck drivers are pros — you know your rig, your route, and your limits. But fatigue doesn’t care about experience.
The FMCSA found that 1 in 8 large truck crashes involve a tired driver.
The AAA Foundation says 17% of fatal crashes involve drowsy driving.
And missing just two hours of sleep can make you drive like you’ve been drinking.
That’s right: two hours less sleep = legally drunk reflexes.
Even if you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel, fatigue affects how you or your drivers scan the road, process information, and react to hazards. It turns split-second decisions into seconds too late.
If you are in commercial transportation or other high-risk industries, you are well aware of the growing threat of nuclear verdicts—lawsuit awards exceeding $10 million—that are increasingly common in the trucking industry. From 2020 to 2024, the total sum of these verdicts surged to $31.3 billion, a 116% increase, with the median verdict reaching $51 million. In 2024 alone, 49 cases exceeded $100 million, driven by factors like third-party litigation financing, plaintiff-friendly venues, and the emotional weight of severe injury or wrongful death cases.
Even if your mistakes or non-compliance don't hit nuclear levels, you may still feel the pressure from insurance companies. Small trucking fleets are particularly at risk, paying over three times more per mile for insurance coverage compared to large fleets. It's essential you and your team are always alert and at the top of your game.
Learn more about nuclear verdicts in the transportation industry.
Professional drivers face unique fatigue challenges:
Unpredictable schedules. Night runs, tight deadlines, and rotating shifts disrupt sleep cycles.
Sleeping on the road. Getting quality rest in a sleeper cab or motel isn’t always easy.
Poor food options. Fast food and caffeine spikes don’t replace steady energy.
Mental load. The stress of schedules, traffic, and compliance wears you down mentally and physically.
Sleep Apnea A common but often undiagnosed condition among commercial drivers, sleep apnea interrupts breathing during sleep — preventing deep rest and leading to chronic fatigue.
Fatigue isn’t always just about long hours — sleep apnea is one of the biggest hidden causes. That’s why DOT physicals screen for conditions that affect alertness, including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and other fatigue-related risks.
With Foley, fleets can automatically track when medical certificates are about to expire — especially for drivers who require annual evaluations due to sleep apnea. No spreadsheets, no surprises — just a clear view of who’s compliant and who needs a follow-up exam before they go out of service.
You can’t always change your schedule, but you can prepare smarter. Following are some practical tips to help improve your performance behind the wheel.
1. Bank Your Sleep
If you know you’ve got a long shift or overnight haul coming, get extra rest in the days before. Sleep “reserves” help your body stay alert longer.
2. Respect the Red Zone
Avoid your biological danger zones — midnight to 6 a.m. and 2–4 p.m. — whenever possible. If you have to drive during those hours, plan for shorter legs or extra breaks.
3. Use Caffeine Strategically
Caffeine takes about 30 minutes to kick in. Drink it before you’re exhausted, not after. And remember — caffeine delays fatigue; it doesn’t erase it.
4. Fuel Yourself, Not Just the Truck
Heavy, greasy meals make you sluggish. Choose high-protein snacks, fruit, and water to keep energy steady throughout your route.
5. Know When to Pull Over
Microsleeps last only 3–5 seconds, but at highway speeds, that’s a football field of road you’ve driven blind.
If you feel one coming on, pull over and take a 20–30-minute nap. It can reset your alertness better than any energy drink.
The best commercial fleets don’t just enforce Hours-of-Service rules — they build a culture that values rest.
Design routes and schedules that allow adequate rest periods.
Encourage drivers to speak up when they’re tired — no fear, no penalties.
Train managers and dispatchers to recognize fatigue risks.
Use data and telematics to spot unsafe driving patterns or long shifts.
Offer fatigue training through the North American Fatigue Management Program (NAFMP).
Fleets that make rest part of their safety culture see fewer crashes, better compliance, and higher driver retention.
For more on national efforts to combat fatigue, read:
👉 Driver Fatigue & the CVSA’s Plan to Combat It
Hours-of-Service violations are one of the clearest warnings that fatigue may be creeping into your fleet. In Foley’s FMCSA Safety Insights dashboard, HOS violations are tracked alongside other FMCSA violation categories so safety managers can see when they’re trending upward, which drivers are repeatedly at risk, and whether corrective action (like retraining or scheduling changes) is needed.
That kind of visibility helps fleets shift from “reactive after an audit” to “proactive before a crash.”
Turning up the radio, rolling down the window, or splashing water on your face might make you feel awake — but they don’t fix fatigue.
Studies show these “alertness tricks” only last a few minutes.
The only real solution? Sleep.
Even a short nap can reset your brain and keep you, your cargo, and everyone around you safe.
This Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, take a moment to check in:
Are you getting enough sleep before each shift?
Are your schedules realistic for safe rest?
Do your drivers — or your team — feel empowered to say, “I need a break”?
Fatigue isn’t a weakness. It’s a warning light.
And like any smart operator, you don’t ignore warning lights — you respond before things break down.
Because the goal isn’t just getting the job done.
It’s getting it done safely — and getting home safe, too.
Learn more about how Foley's compliance and monitoring platform can help you hire safer drivers faster and keep closer tabs on your fleet so you can spot potentially dangerous trends before they become a problem. Speak with an expert today.