Maintaining driving focus

[Spyder01]

I'm interested in what drivers do to maintain focus and concentration? I appreciate it's very individual, but what do you do when you feel it slipping? I appreciate managing home life, sleep, diet etc before work, how about after a run of long shifts or managing other distractions? Thanks in advance

 

[AverageJoe]

I'm interested in what drivers do to maintain focus and concentration? I appreciate it's very individual, but what do you do when you feel it slipping? I appreciate managing home life, sleep, diet etc before work, how about after a run of long shifts or managing other distractions? Thanks in advance

I think about how skint I’ll be if I lose my job… always helps me to stay focused

You have stated many of the things about arriving fit for work already.

There are some things like opening window, cool air on, RTC, standing up, caffeine.

Also the point of passing the psychometric tests proves that a driver is able to have high levels of concentration.

But at the end of the day it can be hard and it’s good to know when to turn down rest day working or even taking a day off as unfit for work due to fatigue.

 

[choochoochoo]

If your dwell time is long enough, get out of the cab and get some daylight/sunlight on you. It can help the body stay awake.

 

[Undiscovered]

Or kick the seat back and have a nap.
The guard will buzz when it's time to go. Like your own mini alarm clock.

 

[Twotwo]

For starters, I only do PMs or nights. Even if I don't have the best sleep on nights, it's not a lot of driving so I'm able to just get on with it. Cold can of coke usually helps.

Sometimes I do bang out the overtime and often do 10-13 days in a row but towards the end I can see my standards slipping a bit like breaking later, taking power too quickly (our PDP requires 33% power under 5mph - so there's probably times I've opened up straight away or after 3mph) or a little bit of speeding (couple of mph over - nothing dangerous FYI) but always clocked and managed to fix it.

For me it's knowing when to shut off and when to concentrate, there's stretches where I know I can switch off for a few mins and other areas I know that requires my focus more.

 

[BrokenSam]

You'll know when you can relax and when to focus with route knowledge I find. Anything out of course normally focuses your mind again.

 

[Gemz91]

Self test route knowledge whilst driving, call out level crossings names, tunnels and so on. Read signal or bridge numbers out (not required route knowledge but keeps my mind ticking over whilst driving). Go for a walk on my PNB so I’m refreshed for the rest of my job. Make the most of my days off, can be hard if most your other friends work during the week but I’ll always do my best to keep busy. As someone said up thread know your limits on rest day work, it’s cracking to work 13 days in a row and your bank balance might look good, but it won’t look good as you crash into some buffer stops (I average at 3 rest days works a year. I sit firmly in the theres more to life then money camp). Make sure you have a cold drink in summer, hot drink in winter. Bit of fruit to much on as your going along.

I used to stand up regularly but as tractions have changed we seem to favour fixed seats that can’t tip up now at our toc. I always prefer the uncomfortable seats to the comfy seats. Want to feel like I’m at work not sat at home watching tv.

 

[ComUtoR]

but what do you do when you feel it slipping?

Terminate the service, call the Signaller, fill out a fatigue form, go home.

 

[Seehof]

Some sections of the journey require much more concentration than others. Always, always concentrate hard when entering or leaving complex areas. Arriving at Newcastle requires a completely different mindset than getting repeated bells and greens going along the ECML.
Never guess things - if you not sure ask the signaller.

 

[LCC106]

In addition to some great advice above simply change position in your seat, sing, write things down if they’re weighing on your mind eg shopping, sorting out insurance etc.

 

[1867Blue]

Flick down the iso switch when at a red or jump in the second man seat. I’m currently in the middle of 8 consecutive late shifts. Your mind can sometimes see signals as you want to see them when you’re getting ready to go joke of wishing it was home time.

By doing those two things it gives to extra time to stop and reflect before doing anything.

Terminate the service, call the Signaller, fill out a fatigue form, go home.

Is this such a thing. Never heard of it at my FOC

 

[anglian96]

I chew gum to keep me alert and also break the route down in sections keeps me focused abit more.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Is this such a thing. Never heard of it at my FOC

100%, why would you drive a train if you know you are not fit and are at extremely high risk of a serious incident? If you are not fit or don’t think you are fit enough to drive for the entire shift, contact the signaller and ask control for relief. Fatigue is a trigger word so the moment control/signaller hear that, they should not pressurise you at all to continue.

 

[coxxy]

Being prepared is generally the most important. Knowing what your shift entails, where your breaks are, where you will may experience tiredness/lapse in concentrations helps you combat it in advance.

Singing to yourself, getting up and having a walk when you can, drinking water/caffeine all helps.

 

[357]

Sometimes I do bang out the overtime and often do 10-13 days in a row

You haven't changed then

I do the same as others here, get up and walk around the cab, step onto the platform, open the window, and drink ridiculous amounts of caffeine

 

[Sly Sloth]

Self test route knowledge whilst driving, call out level crossings names, tunnels and so on. Read signal or bridge numbers out (not required route knowledge but keeps my mind ticking over whilst driving). Go for a walk on my PNB so I’m refreshed for the rest of my job. Make the most of my days off, can be hard if most your other friends work during the week but I’ll always do my best to keep busy. As someone said up thread know your limits on rest day work, it’s cracking to work 13 days in a row and your bank balance might look good, but it won’t look good as you crash into some buffer stops (I average at 3 rest days works a year. I sit firmly in the theirs more to life then money camp). Make sure you have a cold drink in summer, hot drink in winter. Bit of fruit to much on as your going along.

I used to stand up regularly but as tractions have changed we seem to favour fixed seats that can’t tip up now at our toc. I always prefer the uncomfortable seats to the comfy seats. Want to feel like I’m at work not sat at home watching tv.

You wouldn’t go far wrong if you did this

 

[Spyder01]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts, all great advice