Update On 'Fit To Drive' Program

Saturday, March 19, 2011 06:03 AM

Prince George, B.C. - A B.C. research team has spent the winter collecting data on B.C. logging truck drivers and how the stresses of the job impact a driver's ability to react quickly to unpredictable situations.

The team, led by Dr. Delia Roberts of Selkirk College, put heart rate and activity monitors on 20 drivers from the Okanagan and Princeton Weyerhauser operations over two days of driving.

On the first day of monitoring, the drivers followed their normal eating and hydration routines and were tested every three hours to see how quickly they could respond to both simple and complex stimuli. Their blood sugar was also tested.

On the second day of driving, the participants were proved with high protein snacks with complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and antioxidants. They were also encouraged to eat and drink a small amount every two hours and the testing was repeated. According to Forestry TruckSafe, "Most drivers reported an improvement in energy levels when they 'fuelled up' regularly, and the preliminary results of the cognitive testing showed that - especially for complex tasks involving a choice of responses - they were nearly 3/4 of a second faster in their responses when blood sugar was maintained at a constant level."

"Imagine how much can happen each second your truck is in motion and how your energy levels can influence your ability to react?"

This month and into April, the research team will continue to collect data on log haulers in Washington and Oregon. Forestry TruckSafe says the study's findings will be used to create a series of training manuals to help drivers better manage their energy and reduce their injury risks. The results of the study will be available this coming fall.

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Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2011 06:03 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: BCRacer on March 19 2011 6:42 AM

also good information for those driving long distances this summer....

Posted by: Mercenary on March 19 2011 8:21 AM

These kinds of studies are all well and good but when you get right down to it, the average trucker really doesn't have time to ensure a proper diet and nutrition. Long days behind the wheel and not enough rest time really puts these guys behind the 8 ball.

Not too sure what a long term solution may be but something has to be done....

Posted by: Loki on March 19 2011 9:26 AM

Mercenary, what a crock of doo-doo.
If one knows they are working a long day, they should plan accordingly. It's not like truckers are unaware that they will be "in the field" for extended time periods.

It is real simple, learn the better foods to have on hand and ensure they are available on the road. Instead of packing the old school, "easy", low energy, high fat, high sugar foods: pack the suggested food stuffs.

It is very challenging to change ones's diet. So, don't change your diet, change your life style. Diets all invariably fail. Positive life style changes that include diet adjustments do work.

That is how I have found success reducing my mid-section. Our entire house has changed from the North American style diet of ready made convenience foods containing high salt, sugar, and fats. We now are learning Asian and South East Asian (India) style of cooking because they use less meat and more vegetables. No deep fried or heavy baters. Also, the North American diet is approximately three times the amount needed for healthy living.

EAT BREAKFAST! This will start your bodies metabulism to start burning fuel, calories and fat.

Throw out the ten inch dinner plates and replace with eight inch luncheon plate and leave space between each food element. You get one appy, one dinner plate and one modest dessert. Yes, you will feel hungary, it is only your imagination.

No eating after supper, especially no later than 9:00 pm.

After six months you will notice that you cannot eat the quantity of food you used to, and your pants will need a belt to stay up.

Posted by: Vulgar Sage on March 19 2011 10:03 AM

5 small meals a day instead of 3 full...

Posted by: Vulgar Sage on March 19 2011 10:18 AM

But proper foods are not the answer to fatigue the only solution to that is proper sleep, As a long haul driver we were aloud to work 15 hrs a day 13 driving,but If your up 1 1/2- 2 hrs before your shift,after shift if your a family man/woman you might want to spent some time with the family 2-3 hrs you have 5-6 hrs of sleep if your a deep sleeper..I`v done 12 hr shifts with 2 1/2 hrs sleep..and I was driving bus.
For owner operators of logging trucks I`v heard rate are getting lower to make a dollar means taking few braaks and trying to squeeze as much out of hrs allotted as possible...

Posted by: Mercenary on March 19 2011 11:11 AM

Loki: You a trucker? No? then you don't know what you are talking about.

For starters...truckers don't usually work a standard shift like most folks. For most, their shifts start and stop at different times. With no set schedule it is tough to plan proper meals.

Working 16 hrs a day on average, most truckers don't have enough time for rest let alone proper cooking. Sure, if you're home each and every day then you CAN eat better but most truckers aren't home and are away for weeks on end.

As always....what works for one person won't necessarily work for everyone either....

Posted by: Vulgar Sage on March 19 2011 12:19 PM

I have to say even though this is not going to read by the powers that may be, that I hope my tax dollars aren`t going to some ministers cousin that took a useless coarse in college and needs a 300 thousand dollar pay check.I` would rather see my tax dollars of which I have paid quite a sum go to some sick kid or education pleqase stop with the atupid make my brether inlaw a fat pay check studies that for the most part we dint need anal clowns...

Posted by: Loki on March 19 2011 1:07 PM

No. I am not a trucker. I have friends that are and I have worked in industries that heavily involved trucking.

At no point in my post did I mention cooking on the road. Yes, I did mention cooking in a specific style. That, of course, must be done at home or in camp. The main point was, plan and prepare for the daily recurring shift. It may not be regular, but it is frequent enough to be considered stable or steady employment. Quit being a stick in the mud unchanging neanderthal and grow a little bit.

There are alternatives that do not take a lot if time to prepare. You specifically mentioned truckers having families. Cool, does that mean that the trucker family person has little or no support for his 14 hour shift. Does that mean the spouse does not assist with packing "her man" an adequate lunch for the entire day that includes nutricious snacks or does the trucker himself have do work an 80 hour week and do his own shopping to? Or, are truckers too lazy to brown bag it with the lame excuse that they work excessive and completely unsafe hours?

I know I used "he" and "him". That is not intended to dismiss the many female professional drivers.

I know, it is easier to lash out at plausible suggestions than to take an honest look into ones own behaviors. Maybe have a nap and think about it.

Posted by: Mercenary on March 19 2011 6:28 PM

Yea Loki...you're lost. You don't have the faintest idea of what you're talking about. You really have no clue as to what truckers have to deal with on a day to day basis....so until you do keep your unappropriate opinions on this matter to yourself.

Posted by: Eagleone on March 19 2011 8:12 PM

Hard to believe they would do studies on this... its really not complicated. I agree that one needs to eat lots on the road to stay alert... I eat more than most people do in two days on a ten hour shift and I'm in better shape then 90% of the people my age. I find I get really hungry on the road and can't go ten minutes without eating something... on the weekends when not working I hardly eat at all.

For me I bring a huge bowl of grapes, mini carrots, and sometimes a few strawberries for a treat that sits beside me and I eat a few grapes at least every ten km. I have an apple, orange, pear, and tomato for when I'm stopped. I eat two small bags of chips and two peperoni sticks, two sandwiches, two fresh cooked muffins, a banana, a pudding cup, and a large thermos of green tea... every day and often I'll stop for a breakfast sandwich and coffee as well if it looks like it'll be a twelve hour day. Then when I get home I have a large dinner before bed.

It works for me and its very healthy I find. The grapes are the key I think because they increase the metabolism and help to convert all that food to energy as well as keeping the road acid down from my stomach. It keeps things rolling along... sometimes when I know its going to be a bad day and I'll be chaining up most likely I make an extra special sandwich as a sort of reward to look forward to after the dirty deed is done... that helps too.

Posted by: Loki on March 20 2011 11:16 AM

Well merc, you had a valid point. But, as it happened I went and chatted with my trucker neiobor and his spouse to see how far off I was. You know, check and verify my opinion with an alternate source.

To address your lame excuse about it being too onerous to cook on the road, bull puckey. He has 12v lunch box oven. They are about $25 and work great

As to the actual food, she does not pack his meals. What she does is ensure he has an ample supply of low fat and cholesterol products. I had to ask what they are doing as I noted he is not as thick as he was.

So merc, you are wrong, again!

Posted by: Give more on March 20 2011 12:39 PM

Oh right, wrong, right, wrong, give it a break. Everyone is different. When I was driving truck, I had to eat very sparingly to stay awake. An average size lunch would put me to sleep. At the end of the day is when I wanted a big meal. Even now, I don't eat much if I'm not working physically hard. My body seems to tell me how much I need to eat.

Posted by: Mercenary on March 20 2011 6:29 PM

LOL...Loki.....yea....you're a hero...

Fact is I am a trucker.....lived the lifestyle for 3 years. Like I said, its easier to eat healthy when you get home every day or every other day BUT...and this is where it gets dicey...pay attention....when you are gone from home for weeks and even months on end living out of truck stops, working stupid hours to try and make some semblance of a living...well yea, healthy eating goes out the window.

Go back under your rock and maybe next time comment on a topic that you might have a bit of knowledge about.

Posted by: Vulgar Sage on March 21 2011 9:31 AM

The point is that there are healthy choices to keep a driver a little more alert during a long shift, we`re talking driver fatigue here not weight loss. High proteins low sugar are good but as give more mentioned ever body is different and fatigue can only be avoided by stopping and taking a nap some time during your shift...