Safety Driver Training Manager, Ronald Erving shares some tips on how to stay cool this summer.

As we approach the dog days of summer, we try to make sure our trucks are ready for the road, but what about ourselves? We must ensure we have plenty of fluids ready for our travels. As we know, being inside the cab of our trucks can be tough. Your body can enter many heat induced illnesses quickly, and we must make sure we are watching out for the signs.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include headache, dizziness, weakness and moist skin. The more severe heat stroke symptoms would be dry, hot skin with no sweating, mental confusion, losing consciousness, seizures or convulsions. Let’s take a look at ways to prevent heat illness while out on the road.

It seems like it should be simple, turn on the A/C and grab a beverage right? Wrong. Having the right drink, clothing, meals and environment can also help. If you feel yourself having any of the symptoms listed above, beat the heat by trying the following steps:

1. Block out direct sun or other heat sources
2. Use cooling fans/air conditioning
3. Rest regularly
4. Drink lots of water; about 1 cup every 15 min
5. Wear lightweight, light colored, loose-fitting clothes
6. Avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks and heavy meals

Following these steps should help us in our survival of summer! We can keep our trucks running well, but if your body is about to breakdown… that will not help us either. Monitor your body’s gauges!