Think about it. This is a type of job in the logistics industry requiring a ton of caffeine either in the form of energy drink, coffee, dissolvable, gummy, or pill. And loads of it – all to ensure that a driver doesn’t fall asleep behind the wheel. It’s a sad state when we see those driver’s ed videos about the truck driver who gets lulled into a meditative state, driving for hours and hours only to meet his or her horrible end in a head-on collision or a trip down a massive hill and explosion at the very bottom of a chasm. All by itself, it fits the mold of your standard horror movie!
This Is Why the White House Has Recently Nominated a ‘Sleep Specialist’ to Head the NHTSA
Highway hypnosis is no joke. It’s every truck driver’s worst nightmare. Each logistics corporation faces the prospect of a truck driver falling asleep at the wheel and causing some horrible accident, and the fact remains: such a truck driver can’t help but get fatigued. Logistics is truly a tough job.
Why do you think highways have those rest stops? Truck drivers do use them all the time. The problem, though, is that there are deadlines, and truck drivers can’t liberally use their time at their leisure to make sure they don’t rest their foreheads on the steering wheel while managing 60 miles an hour on the open road. It’s a lose-lose situation for these truck drivers, basically.
Hail Mark Rosekind, the new head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a federal crash investigator – and even better, a “sleep and fatigue specialist” – capable of really understanding what makes our truck drivers tick.
The Basic Credentials of Our Possible New NHTSA Head
Truck drivers all over America need the help to keep their eyes open, obviously, which is why Rosekind makes such a dent on the subject. Having been a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board, this is a man with such in-depth knowledge to know just what our drivers need to stay safe while operating their semis.
Moreover, he’s an innovator, implementing technological solutions, a chief scientist and President of a company dedicated to finding revolutionary ways for drivers working in the logistics industry to combat fatigue and highway hypnosis. That company is “Alert Solutions.” Understandable name.
Rosekind Is Not the Head of the NHTSA…. Yet
He has to get a pass by the U.S. Senate, and then he’s good to go. Given his credentials and the endorsement by our United States President, though, the chances are good.
With him on board, though, you can bet we can get some insight on research and development for higher safety standards among logistics companies. This goes well beyond the need for caffeine pills or Monster drinks, just so you know.
As a graduate of Stanford and Yale, Rosekind doesn’t play around. With his work at NASA, leading initiatives to develop a fatigue countermeasure program, studying all sorts of human factors in aviation, you can only imagine if he can make sure an astronaut or pilot doesn’t fall asleep behind the wheel, he can probably do the same for just about any truck driver out on the highway.
And without a doubt – we need that kind of expertise.
What the NHTSA Does
The truth is evident that highway hypnosis may forever be an issue we will always combat. That’s why the NHTSA is an agency focused on research and policy. Additionally, safety recalls and oversight of fuel economy standards are key priorities, hence making the agency not only a right-now type of solution for every single driver, but a long-term environmental remedy for thousands of trucks out there consistently burning fuel.
I Think It’s Safe to Say….
We’re in good hands. We have to be. When we’re out there on the road – whether as a residential driver, or a commercial operator – there’s always that chance that something can go wrong. It’s a highway. It’s hypnosis. People get sleepy all the time.
As long as we have a team there to always find ways to minimize the danger, we’ll always be on the right track. The right people make a difference. Our drivers will always succeed at their truck driving jobs, even when it’s tough. Moves like this from our President remind us that our livelihoods are the most important thing to the American Dream.