Reducing Fatigue Risk in Commercial Trucking

By Peter Hay, Vice President of Customer Success, Predictive Safety, and Brett Walker, Vice President of Sales, Predictive Safety

Originally published in the 2026 Second Quarter Guardian, Pages 57- 58

• Move beyond post‑incident fixes: learn how pre‑task cognitive checks and impairment‑detection tools identify fatigue risk before a driver ever starts the engine.
• See how layered defenses — IDT pre‑checks, in‑motion monitoring, FRMS predictive analytics and non‑punitive coaching — cut both catastrophic crashes and costly low‑speed incidents.
• Practical steps for fleets: deploy leading‑indicator tech, embed readiness checks in dispatch, and build a culture that encourages early reporting.
  Protect safety, reduce costs and keep drivers on the road — proactively.

Estimated read time: 5 minutes.

Fatigue remains one of the most persistent and underestimated risks in commercial trucking. While catastrophic crashes draw the most attention, fatigue-related incidents often occur in less visible – but still costly – ways:

• Backing incidents at customer facilities
• Minor collisions in yards
• Equipment damage during low-speed maneuvers
• Judgment errors during deliveries

Individually, these events may seem minor. Collectively, they contribute to rising operational costs, strained customer relationships and increased insurance pressure.

The Limits of Traditional Fatigue Management

Over the past decade, fleets have made meaningful progress in addressing fatigue:

• Hours-of-service compliance
• Driver education and wellness programs
• In-cab camera systems and telematics

These tools have improved visibility into fatigue-related behaviors such as distraction, lane deviation and microsleep events. 

However, most interventions still occur after a driver has begun operating the vehicle.

This highlights an ongoing challenge: Howcan fleets identify fatigue-related risk before exposure begins?

A Shift Toward Proactive Risk Identification

There is growing interest across the industry in identifying leading indicators of fatigue – signals that may exist before a driver gets behind the wheel. 

One emerging approach involves short, pre-task cognitive assessments designed to evaluate alertness and reaction time relative to an individual’s typical performance. Rather than relying solely on self-reporting (“How do you feel?”), these tools focus on objective performance-based measures.

The goal is not to diagnose fatigue but to create a moment of awareness:

• Is the driver performing at their normal level today?
• Are there signs of reduced alertness?
• Should a brief conversation or intervention occur before departure?

This approach represents a shift from reactive monitoring to proactive engagement.

Layering Safety Systems

Many fleets are beginning to think of fatigue risk as a layered safety challenge rather than a problem solved by a single tool.

A comprehensive approach may include:

• Pre-task readiness checks (assessing alertness before driving)
• In-motion monitoring (detecting behaviors such as distraction or drowsiness)
• Post-event coaching and training

Each layer addresses a different point in the risk timeline. When combined, these layers provide a more complete picture of fatigue related risk.

Human Factors and Everyday Risk

Not all fatigue-related incidents occur at highway speeds. In fact, many occur in controlled environments:

• Distribution centers
• Customer delivery locations
• Yards and terminals

These environments still require:

• Precision
• Situational awareness
• Sound judgment

Fatigue can subtly degrade these capabilities, increasing the likelihood of small but costly mistakes.

Recognizing this broader definition of risk is critical. Fatigue management is not just about preventing catastrophic crashes; it is about reducing all preventable incidents tied to human performance.

Building a Culture of Engagement

One of the most effective fatigue management strategies is cultural.

When drivers feel comfortable acknowledging fatigue, organizations are better positioned to address risk early. This requires:

• Open communication between drivers and supervisors
• Non-punitive approaches to fatigue reporting
• Emphasis on shared responsibility for safety

Creating structured opportunities to discuss readiness – before a shift begins – can help reinforce this culture.

Looking Ahead

As the industry continues to evolve, fatigue management is expanding beyond compliance and monitoring toward predictive and preventive approaches.

Future-focused fleets are asking:

• How do we identify risk before exposure?
• How do we incorporate human performance into safety systems?
• How do we balance operational efficiency with workforce wellbeing?
• How do we identify fatigue before a driver is behind the wheel?
• How do we predict fatigue risk using all the leading indicators at our disposal?

Answering these questions will be key to reducing both major incidents and the smaller, everyday events that impact cost, safety and reputation.

New Ideas and Concepts

Research impairment detection technology (IDT) and fatigue prevention technology:

• Consider proactive pairing of impairment detection systems.

These solutions are designed to complement existing in-cab camera solutions by addressing the gap between reactive incident capture and proactive fatigue prevention. While camera systems record and flag in-drive events (yawns, eye closure, lane drift) for after-the-fact review, IDT systems provide a pre-trip tool that can identify drivers that may be off their game due to emotional distress, lack of sleep, fatigue or, in some cases, substance use. 

• Couple IDT with pre-drive coaching.

Much like a pre-shift inspection for a vehicle or a coaching session after a camera event, these solutions are designed to evaluate the asset (vehicle/driver) before they start a trip. They rarely prevent a driver from executing their duties (unless there is a clear violation of existing policy); rather, they trigger a coaching and evaluation opportunity BEFORE getting behind the wheel, thereby encouraging attentiveness and management engagement in ensuring that the driver is rested, alert and ready to work throughout their journey.

Consider technologies that use leading indicators to predict fatigue beyond the pre-trip

assessment provided by IDT. IDT will only take you so far. A pre-shift assessment through IDT often analyzes factors that are out of the control of the operation, such as staying up too late or emotional burdens from home life. Someone who passes a check at the start of a shift may still incur a high level of fatigue later in the shift, from factors such as overtime hours, call-outs or driving when their body thinks they should be sleeping. Technologies that predict fatigue risk based on leading indicators exist and are highly effective. 

Fatigue risk management systems (FRMS) are one example. These systems ingest hours-of-service data in real time. They may also ingest biologic data from a watch or IDT data from a pre-shift assessment, as well as camera trigger information. They can consider the average commute time for your drivers and factor it against each driver's natural circadian cycle. Well-designed FRMS systems will provide dashboards that indicate who is currently driving and who may be at high risk of a fatigue-related incident. They include notifications to managers and dispatch, as well as fatigue analytics, enabling the enterprise to identify which sites or groups may pose greater risk. 

Final Thought

Fatigue does not always present obvious warning signs. Drivers may feel capable, even when performance is diminished. 

Creating simple, consistent ways to evaluate readiness before driving begins can provide an additional layer of protection, helping fleets move from reacting to incidents to preventing them altogether.