How do you deal with 'em?
I pull into the services, set the alarm, and have ten minutes still in the seat.
Or phone someone. A vicious argument with my ex usually wakes me up a treat.
Failing that: pulling onto the hard shoulder and getting out ‘because I thought I heard a tyre go, officer’ works quite well. Not the safest thing in the World to do, but better than actually falling asleep.
Same as you, including the argument with the ex 
Walk around the trailer a few times helps,if you really tired no amount of caffeine will do the trick as the mind and body needs to rest.
I found in the past a simple solution, from those first signs your knackered you generally have 30 - 60 mins before your in danger of killing yourself and others, with that in mind if I am more than that away from my destination then I will pull at the first chance at take a 45min nap, your just delaying the inevitible otherwise and trying to push through something you can’t beat, whilst risking everything.
If your life worth the risk ■■
A desperate delaying tactic can be to cover one eye and rest it and then swap, to help you through that period I mention, I wouldn’t dream of trying that unless the roads are quiet however because as you well know in traffic you are just messing with death otherwise.
Splashing water over the head and face works well.
Phantom Mark:
I found in the past a simple solution, from those first signs your knackered you generally have 30 - 60 mins before your in danger of killing yourself and others, with that in mind if I am more than that away from my destination then I will pull at the first chance at take a 45min nap, your just delaying the inevitible otherwise and trying to push through something you can’t beat, whilst risking everything.If your life worth the risk ■■
A desperate delaying tactic can be to cover one eye and rest it and then swap, to help you through that period I mention, I wouldn’t dream of trying that unless the roads are quiet however because as you well know in traffic you are just messing with death otherwise.
Yup, done that. Burning the base of your hand with a lighter wakes you up pretty quick too. DISCLAIMER This is only to enable you to get to the next safe place to stop. Do not try this if there’s a coach with 300 children on board within striking distance
i don’t work until i’m that tired.
limeyphil:
i don’t work until i’m that tired.
You’re not a real trucker then .
dar1976:
limeyphil:
i don’t work until i’m that tired.You’re not a real trucker then
they say i’m a danger to other road users, because i don’t have a problem bending the rules to get home or find somewhere to park.
but these lot do it legal, but can’t stay awake.
Two scenarios for being that tired have got to be pulling a 15 hour, and it’s now morning rush-hour, or doing a normal shift any hours, and not having enough sleep in your previous daily rest…
The latter is one’s own fault, but the former? Are there many firms out there pushing people to do a 15 hour as a compulsory thing? 
Winseer:
Are there many firms out there pushing people to do a 15 hour as a compulsory thing?
There is one a couple of miles from me - well known for it. AND they pay CE drivers the princely rate of — wait for it — £7.25 per hour (C = £6.75, C1 = £6.25). No increased overtime rate either. Many of their guys regularly do 15 hour days and, amazingly, some of them have been there for years and are still alive!
Not for me though, as much as I like driving, I would sooner stack shelves in Asda.
before electric windows ,i used to wind passenger one down…sing as loud as i can,rest one eye then the other ,finger nails into palm o my hand…and last resort stop for 10…had old wind up alarm clock. head on steering wheel. and TRY not to fall asleep for 6hrs and miss bldy ferry like i did once… nb… advice from a different era ,no cab phones,tracking…
jimmy.
take your shoes off is good for another hour when your nodding,i know it sounds daft but it works
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned the Handbury Davies technique yet 
On nights a while ago I used to stick my head out the window for as long as I could. The colder it was, the better the ‘waking’ effect. Probably not advisable during the day tho. Hurts when its raining too
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I always tried to be sure I had enough caffeine in me before getting to that stage, plenty of coffee before and during work helps.
If I had an attack of the nods whilst driving and could not stop for a break Johnny Cash up loud and windows open would keep me awake.
In my car I have an electronic ioniser, that helps a lot on a long journey.
For the most part, we work off tacho and outside of the working time ■■■■■■■■ rules. Not at all uncommon to work a straight 24 hours or more (though less common than it once was).
I keep a couple of red rockets in me bag for such occasions.
ECA stacks - Ephedrine, caffine and aspirin, all in one capsule. The ephedrine is a type of amphetamine, but takes a while to kick in, hence the caffine for an immediate kick. The aspirin thins the blood so it circulates better/quicker.
Not illegal and readily avalable on t’interweb as they’re used in the bodybuilding world.
When I can’t stay awake, I pop one of these. They take effect pretty quickly and from that point, there’s no chance of falling asleep for about 4 hours. NOT recommended taking more than one in a day, and not for anyone with a weak heart.
Now, is that Pat Hasler I can hear coming to condemn me to hell 
cieranc:
For the most part, we work off tacho and outside of the working time ■■■■■■■■ rules. Not at all uncommon to work a straight 24 hours or more (though less common than it once was).
I keep a couple of red rockets in me bag for such occasions.
ECA stacks - Ephedrine, caffine and aspirin, all in one capsule. The ephedrine is a type of amphetamine, but takes a while to kick in, hence the caffine for an immediate kick. The aspirin thins the blood so it circulates better/quicker.Not illegal and readily avalable on t’interweb as they’re used in the bodybuilding world.
When I can’t stay awake, I pop one of these. They take effect pretty quickly and from that point, there’s no chance of falling asleep for about 4 hours. NOT recommended taking more than one in a day, and not for anyone with a weak heart.Now, is that Pat Hasler I can hear coming to condemn me to hell
and you slag us wide load boys off for unsafe overuse of beacons ■■?
Drink a coffee, then try to sleep for 15 minutes. The first 15 minutes of any sleep are the best for you, and when you wake up, the caffine is starting to take effect
I can remember the days that i did van work, used to do Preston>>>Deeside or Heathrow >Copenhagen on average it would take around 18hrs ferries included, Before the days of tracking and Double manning/running in a convoy
I would get into Holland and stop a few times for a coffee or tank up and a coffee, but would always try and find a quiet spot on the ferry for a kip or at lest rest the eyes , once there if the gaff wasn’t open sleep time, they would always wake you up when they wanted you to tip, after reloading usually after around 4-5hrs it would be run back to heathrow or deeside , then rinse & repeat it used to pay £220 per trip inc n/o a couple of lads did it 3 times in the same week
But yet i can remember Leaving our house around 6-7pm >> heathrow by 10:30 11:00 pm then into T4 usually wait around for Customs clearance or for it to arrive , one time waited till around 4am then had to take it up to Houghton le spring then back to Preston
That time i got as far as Mansfield on the M1,i could not keep the van in lane, so i pulled off the M way into the 1st layby , locked the doors thought i would have an hour ,across the seats left engine running so i wouldn’t be cold , i woke several hours later to the works phone ringing ,It’s not so much the driving but when you stop for long enough then it gets you, things like ferries and waiting to be loaded/tipped ect