Episode 173 - The Impact of Sleep on High Risk Occupations

Recruit & Retain: Trucking Edition

If you’re wondering how to differentiate your carrier from the other trucking companies out there, have you considered trying to brand yourself as the carrier that prioritizes drivers’ sleep?

“In this current economic climate where it is difficult to retain, recruit and maintain any workforce - health and wellness and safety has got to be paramount for any leader or executive or supervisor.”

In today’s Recruit and Retain, Steven James, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at Washington State, core faculty in the Sleep and Performance Research Centre, discusses the impact of sleep on high risk occupations such as driving.

In particular, he talks about how night driving is not something that humans are designed to do from a core biological level. So what can carriers do to make it easier for drivers, to improve safety for them and other road users?

“There's been multiple studies over the last 20 years that have compared drowsy driving to drunk driving. If you've been awake for 24 hours, it's the same as blowing a 0.10, and the risk is significant for being involved in a collision.”

To find out more about the science of sleep and how to help drivers cope with disruption to their sleep routine, download and listen to this episode today.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Sleep debt and sleep pressure
• The individual differences in sleep need
• How to cope with disruption to our sleep routine
• Similarity between drunk driving and drowsy driving
• Naps save lives
• Impact of night driving on the body

How to connect with Steve James:

• Steve James PhD