Abstract
Eleven focus groups were conducted nationwide to gain an understanding, from the local/short haul (L/SH) drivers' perspective, of the general safety concerns related to L/SH trucking and, specifically, the degree to which fatigue plays a role. As part of the discussions, drivers listed and ranked issues that they believed caused them fatigue on the job. The top five fatigue-related issues, ranked in terms of importance, were: (1) not enough sleep; (2) hard/physical workday; (3) heat/no air conditioning; (4) waiting to unload; and (5) irregular meal times. Based on the results of these focus groups, it appears that fatigue is an issue in L/SH, but perhaps not to the extent that it is in long-haul. (A)