Effects of loading and unloading cargo on commercial truck driver alertness and performance

212 Pages·2001·11.7 MB·English

by  Krueger, Gerald P

Effects of Loading and Unloading
U.S.Department Cargo on Commercial Truck Driver
ofTransportation
Alertness and Performance
FederalMotorCarrier
SafetyAdministration
DOT-MC-01-107 May 2001

Technical Report Documentation Page
1. ReportNo. 2. GovernmentAccession No. 3. Recipient'sCatalog No.
DOT-MC-01-107
4. Titleand Subtitle 5. ReportDate
EffectsofLoading and Unloading Cargoon CommercialTruck DriverAlertnessand 9-30-0
Performance
6. PerformingOrganizationCode
8. PerformingOrganization ReportNo.
7.Author(s)
Gerald P. Krueger, Ph.D. & Susan B. Van Hemel Ph.D. Trucking Research InstituteAmerican
9. PerformingOrganization NameandAddress 10. WorkUnitNo (TRAIS)
Trucking Research Institute
American Trucking Associations Foundation 11. ContractorGrantNo.
2200 Mill Road DTFH-96-X-00022
A1l5.exandria, Virginia 22314 13.TypeofReportand PeriodCovered
12. SponsoringAgencyNameandAddress
Federal MotorCarrier SafetyAdministration Final Report
O1f6.ficeOfResearch and Technology July 1996-September2000
SW
400 Seventh Street, 14. SponsoringAgencyCode
Washington, DC 20590
SupplementaryNotes
TheContracting Officer'sTechnical Representativewas RobertJ. Carroll, FMCSA OfficeofResearch and TechnologyThisstudy
was performed by StarMountain, Inc. ofAlexandria, VA, in cooperationwith TheAmerican Trucking Associations Foundation,
Trucking Research Institute.
Abstract
Thisreportdescribes Phase ofatwo-phased assessmentoftheeffectsof loading and unloading cargo on truck driversalertness
I
and performance. Thereport, which documentswork doneonthreePhase tasks, contains:
I
a) acomprehensive behavioraland physiologicalsciences literaturereview regarding sustained performanceand operatorfatigue,
with afocuson theeffectsofexpending physicalwork energyon operatorfatigue.
b) a characterization ofcommercial motorvehicle industry procedures, methods and practicesconcerning driverswho load and/or
unloadtheirvehicles (trucks/buses). Thiswasaccomplished byexaminingtrucking industrytrade literatureon loading/unloading
proceduralmatters, then conducting a questionnaire surveyofover300truck drivers, followed bysixteen focusgroup interviewsto
understand driverloading/unloading requirementsacrossthecountry, and
17.
c) a behavioraltask analysis assessmentofvariousdriverloading and unloading scenarios in fourcargo commoditygroups: moving
household furnitureand goods, tanktruck carrieroperations, fastfood supplydelivery, and beverage deliveryoperations
Phase II oftheoverallstudyinvolved atruck driversimulator-based experimentto assesstheeffectsofphysicalactivityon loading
/unloading cargo on subsequentdriveralertnessand driving performance. The Phase IIexperimentisdescribed fullyin a
companion report, No. FHWA-MC-99-140, EffectsofOperating Practiceson Commercial DriverAlertness.
Keywords 18. DistributionStatement
DriverFatigue; Physical Fatigue; Work Energy Expended; Distribution Statement
Loading and Unloading Commercial MotorVehicles; No restrictions. Thisdocumentisavailable
Commercial MotorVehicleOperating Practices; Truck Cargo tothepublicthrough the National
and Materials Handling; Household Goods Moving; TankTruck Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161
CarrierOperations; Beverage DeliveryOperations.
19. SecurityClassif. (ofthis report) 20. SecurityClassif. (ofthis page) 21. No. ofPages 22. Price
Unclassified Unclassified 199
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction ofcompleted pageauthorized
ThisformwaselectronicallyproducedbyEliteFederalForms,Inc.

I
Effects ofLoading and Unloading Cargo on
Commercial Truck Driver Alertness and Performance
Prepared for:
Robert J. Carroll, Project Manager
U.S. Department ofTransportation
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
SW
400 Seventh Street,
Washington, DC 20590
American Trucking Associations Foundation
Trucking Research Institute
2200 Mill Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Prepared by: DEPARTMENT OF
TRA,NnnORTATTON
Gerald P. Krueger, Ph.D.
Susan B. Van Hemel, Ph.D. AUG - 9 2001
Star Mountain, Inc.
3601 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 450 NASSIF BRANCH
LIBRARY
Alexandria, Virginia 22304-6496
DOT-MC-01-107 September2000

Preface
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), formerly the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) Office ofMotor Carrier and Flighway Safety (OMCHS), conducts a
multifaceted Research and Technology (R&T) Program with a high priority on human factors
research. Throughout the remainder ofthis report we will use the former agency name
(OMCHS) which was in effect at the time this research was conducted. The FMCSA program
places special emphasis on assessments ofcommercial driver fatigue and studies pertinent to
hours-of-service rules. As part ofthe R&T Program, this document reports driver fatigue
research specifically addressing an assessment ofthe activities ofcommercial motor vehicle
(CMV) drivers loading and unloading cargo in their trucks and what effects that physical work
has on their subsequent levels ofdriving alertness, or the possible development ofdriver fatigue.
The project was conducted in two phases. Phase I ofthe study (conducted in 1996-97 and
reported in this technical report) involved: a) a comprehensive literature review on the effects of
expending physical energy on development ofoperator fatigue, b) a questionnaire survey ofover
300 truck drivers, and sixteen focus group interviews to understand driver loading/unloading
requirements across the country, and c) a behavioral task analysis assessment ofvarious driver
loading and unloading scenarios.
Phase II ofthe project, conducted in 1997-98, involved a truck driver simulator-based
experiment as an assessment ofthe effects ofphysical activity in loading/unloading cargo on
subsequent driver alertness and driving performance. This experiment measured and
documented truck driver’s performance on a daily schedule of 14-hours-on-duty (with 12 hours
simulator driving) followed by 10-hours-off-duty for two successive workweeks of5 days each.
The study also examined the “weekend” rest/recovery process over the 58-hour off-duty period
between the two successive weeks. Details ofthe simulator experiment and the test results are
described by O’Neill, Krueger, Van Hemel, & McGowan, and contained in the September 1999
FHWA
Report No. FHWA-MC-99-140.
R&D
The two-phased project was conducted as part ofa 1996 Cooperative Agreement between
FHWA-OMCHS
and the American Trucking Associations Foundation - Trucking Research Institute
(ATAF-TRI), Alexandria, Virginia. TRI’s project officers for oversight management ofthe project
were Clyde E. Woodle and William C. Rogers, Ph.D. The entire project was conducted on a TRI
subcontract to a team ofhuman factors researchers at Star Mountain, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia:
Timothy R. O’Neill, Ph.D., Gerald P. Krueger, Ph.D., Susan B. Van Hemel, Ph.D., and Adam L.
McGowan. Gerald Krueger and Susan Van Hemel did the bulk ofthe work for Phase I ofthis
project and prepared this report. Robert J. Carroll, project manager, and Ronald R. Knipling, Ph.D.,
Chief, Motor Carrier Research and Standards, Research Division, served as the Federal Highway
Administration’s project monitors.
)
Table of Contents
Preface 1
—
Table of Contents '*
.
Executive Summary 1
Section Review and critique of the literature: Effects of physical work and
I.
sustained performance on driver fatigue, alertness, and driver safety
(Phase Task -6
I, 1)
Introduction 6
Safety concern over truck driver fatigue 6
Fatigue research and countermeasures program 6
Driver loading/unloading project 7
Goals and procedure 7
Topics covered in this review 7
Relationship of loading/unloading to driver fatigue 8
Truck driver loading and unloading activities 8
Truck driver opinions differ on loading/unloading 9
Physical and General-Mental Fatigue and Loss ofAlertness 12
Defining fatigue: subjective and inferred? 12
Physical fatigue 13
Mental or cognitive fatigue 14
General mental fatigue 15
Boredom 15
Phasic fatigue 15
Perception of physical fatigue and motivational determinants 16
Cognitive motivational influence over general-mental fatigue 17
(
Sleep loss, fatigue and sustained performance 19
Task sensitivity to fatigue 20
Truck Driver Fatigue: Physical, Mental, Or Both? 23
Physical and general-mental fatigue interact to affect truck driver alertness 23
ii
Physical fatigue affects general-mental fatigue 23
Work Physiology and Fatigue 24
Daily physical energy expenditure 25
Classification of strenuousness ofwork 26
Occupational energy expenditure 27
Factors Affecting Work Physiology 29
Influence of body mass (mass x distance) 29
Intensity and duration of work 29
Physical fitness, exercise and work 30
Anaerobic vs aerobic exercise and physical fitness 31
V0 max as overall indication of fitness 32
2
Exercise intensity, muscular fatigue or exhaustion 32
Selecting a work pace 35
Physical effects on psychological readiness to perform work 36
Physical conditioning, shift work and sustained operations 36
Effects of sleep loss and sustained physical effort on performance 38
Truck Driver Performance During Extended Work Schedules 42
Cargo loading effects on driver physiology (repetitive lifting studies) 42
Loading and unloading effects on driver performance (Mackie & Miller, 1978) 43
Measuring energy expended driving a truck 44
Combination physical measurements of workload and fatigue 45
Driver fatigue and non-driving performance 45
Section Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations 47
I
Section II. Characterization of on-duty non-driving activities: Relationship to
driver fatigue, alertness, and driving safety (Phase I, Task 2). 49
Background 49
Task 2: Characterization of trucking industry loading/unloading practices and procedures..49
Methodology for Task 2 50
Trucking industry literature search and review 50
Surveys, interviews, focus groups 50
Preparatory trucking industry information gathering 51
Discussions with industry organization leaders 51
iii
National Truck Driving Championships 52
55
Focus group planning
Membership selection by cargo types 55
56
Topics for discussion
Conduct offocus groups and interview sessions 57
Data collection and processing 60
60
Findings
Trucking Industry Literature review 60
Information from industry training and procedures manuals 61
Shipping/trucking industry manuals on loading/unloading procedures 62
Studies of loading and unloading performed in the trucking industry 64
Other sources on loading and unloading practices 70
National truck driving championships 71
Characterization of drivers’ work 71
Responses to loading and unloading questions 72
Driver focus groups and interviews 78
Dry groceries and related items 78
Agricultural products 80
Produce, dairy, other refrigerated cargo 81
Heavy construction materials, pipe, large equipment, etc. (flatbed) 82
Table 10 presents responses of drivers hauling pipe, steel, construction materials and
equipment, and other large flatbed cargo such as railroad locomotive repair parts
(e.g., for Amtrak) 82
Tank cargoes (gasoline, petroleum products, chemicals, foodstuffs, etc.) 83
Large bulky goods, equipment (dry van) 84
General cargo (dry van) 85
Household goods (dry van) 87
Passenger buses 88
Safety manager questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews 90
Integration offindings across groups 90
Frequency of loading, unloading 91
Perceptions of loading/unloading effects on fatigue 92
Issues associated with fatigue 93
IV