You’ve got 12 hours of driving ahead of you; you know it will be late before you can get some sleep. Grabbing an energy drink while you fill up your truck seems like a no-brainer. That extra caffeine jolt will keep you awake and power you through a long shift. But what if we told you that easy boost of energy comes with hidden risks?
You might think that powering your drives with caffeine keeps you alert and safe, but the truth is that energy drinks could be sabotaging your chances of passing your next DOT physical exam. On top of that, drinking caffeine regularly makes you less healthy overall and more likely to get in an accident.
It sounds counterintuitive, so in this blog, we will explore the research regarding energy drinks, caffeine consumption, and truck driving. Knowledge is power, and understanding caffeine’s short- and long-term effects will help you make better decisions for your health and career.
The Popularity of Energy Drinks Among Truckers
It’s no surprise that energy drinks are popular among truckers and commercial drivers. In the past, studies and driving organizations may have even recommended caffeine to stay alert and safe while driving. The demands of shift work and long hours can make you particularly susceptible to fatigue. And being tired on the job as a truck driver can be life-threatening. If you work at a desk and you get sleepy, it’s no big deal. But driving a truck while feeling drowsy could cost you or someone else their life.
Energy drinks make getting a dose of caffeine easier than ever. You don’t have to brew coffee or struggle with a hot beverage—instead, you can grab a can and be on your way. Because energy drinks contain more sugar than coffee (up to 50g per can), they give a much quicker energy boost. Energy drink companies know this and market their product as a fast, effective solution to drowsiness on the road.
However, the effects of energy drinks on your overall health and safety are more complicated.
How Energy Drinks Affect Drivers’ Health
In the short term, the caffeine and sugar in energy drinks act quickly, increasing your heart rate. You may even experience a racing heart or irregular heartbeats. Because energy drinks contain so much sugar, they cause your blood sugar to spike. When those blood sugar levels come down, you’ll experience a crash in energy, making you feel even more tired than before. These spikes in blood sugar can impact your DOT testing, leading to more testing, a delay in obtaining your certification, or even a temporary certification period in the short term. Experienced over an extended period, blood sugar spikes can contribute to diabetes.
Excessive caffeine from energy drinks also raises your blood pressure. If you are already predisposed to high blood pressure, adding caffeine to the mix can exacerbate your symptoms and put extra strain on your heart.
Over time, the impact of excessive caffeine consumption is even more damaging to your health. A study examined the caffeine habits of over 3,000 drivers in the United States. Researchers found that drivers who had five or more caffeinated drinks per day felt more tired, reported shorter sleep duration, and had worse health indicators. They were more likely to smoke, have a poor diet, and not exercise. Most alarmingly, drivers with high caffeine consumption got into more accidents than drivers with low caffeine consumption.1
Having a cup of coffee or a single energy drink is not a problem, but habitual caffeine consumption disrupts your body’s natural sleep and energy cycles. It makes it harder to sleep when you get the chance and reduces the quality of your sleep overall. Even more than coffee, energy drinks are likely to make you dehydrated because of their high sugar and caffeine content. To sum it up, when you make a habit of drinking energy drinks to keep you awake while driving, you’ll actually end up feeling more tired, dehydrated, and in worse health.
If prioritizing your own health isn’t enough, consider this: many of the effects of caffeine consumption will impact your ability to pass a DOT physical, putting your career at risk.
Energy Drinks and DOT Exam Results
All commercial drivers must complete a DOT physical exam every two years. It is essential that drivers are healthy to keep them and everyone else on the road safe. In your exam, a certified medical examiner will evaluate your cardiovascular health, test your vision and hearing, test your urine for kidney function or diabetes, and evaluate your overall reflexes and mental and physical health.
High blood pressure, diabetes, poor kidney function, sleep apnea, excessive fatigue, or heart issues are all reasons for concern. These are also conditions that can be exacerbated by drinking excessive energy drinks. If you go into a DOT exam after having an energy drink, your blood pressure will be elevated, you may experience irregular heart rhythms that require more testing, and your urinalysis might be flagged for diabetes.
We recommend avoiding caffeine for 24 hours before your DOT physical. This will ensure that your doctor can get accurate results. If you believe that the caffeine from energy drinks is affecting your test results, you should certainly let your doctor know, but they will still require you to take additional tests.
The long-term effects of disrupted sleep and poor health patterns associated with frequently drinking energy drinks can’t be avoided with just a 24-hour pause. To stay in optimal health, feel better, and prolong your career, you should keep your caffeine consumption to a reasonable limit.
Balancing Alertness and Safety: Alternatives to Energy Drinks
We aren’t trying to say that you shouldn’t ever have any caffeine. However, being aware of how much caffeine you consume, particularly from energy drinks, will help you feel better, pass your DOT physicals, and stay healthy in the long run.
If energy drinks are a bad idea, what can you do to stay alert and safe while driving long shifts? They may not be as easy as grabbing an energy drink, but here are some tips on combating driver fatigue:
- Get enough sleep—It’s easier said than done, but getting adequate sleep, especially before you drive, is the best way to stay alert and awake. Prioritize the duration and quality of your sleep. You deserve it.
- Avoid driving when your body is naturally drowsy—Our bodies all have a natural circadian rhythm. A study by the FMCSA found that “time-of-day” had a greater impact on driver alertness than “time-on-task.”2 We feel most sleepy between 12 am and 6 am and 2 pm to 4 pm. Try to avoid driving during those times if possible.
- Maintain a healthy diet—Eating balanced, healthy meals will provide your body the energy it needs to function. While sugar and carbs will give you a short boost, the energy doesn’t last, and you’ll feel extra tired when it wears off. Don’t skip meals or eat one big heavy meal. Your body needs steady fuel to function at its best.
- Take a nap—Short naps can be more effective than coffee at keeping you awake. Naps should be between 10 and 45 minutes long, but wait to start driving for at least 15 minutes after waking up. Driving immediately after waking can be as dangerous as driving tired. Give your body a chance to wake up fully.
- Incorporate a regular exercise routine—Exercise is an all-natural energy booster. Making time to exercise regularly will help you feel alert and awake and improve your overall health, and you’ll be all the more prepared for your next exam.
Conclusion
Energy drinks may be an easy way to get a short-term energy boost, but they come with long-term problems. Excessive caffeine consumption makes you more likely to get in an accident and less likely to pass your DOT exam.
So, before you grab that next energy drink, consider the impact on your health and career. Instead of taking the easy way out, prioritize your health by getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. You’ll be ready for your next DOT physical, and your future self will thank you.
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Infographic
Although energy drinks may seem like a quick fix for staying alert on the road, they can pose health risks and potentially affect your chances of passing a DOT physical exam. Check out this infographic for insights on energy drinks and DOT exams.
1https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925753520300618?via%3Dihub
2https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/driver-safety/cmv-driving-tips-driver-fatigue?utm_source=chatgpt.com
