Operational Management of Truck Driver Fatigue: A Systematic Review

Andries Mouton, Leila Louise Goedhals-Gerber () and Anneke De Bod
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Andries Mouton: Department of Logistics, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
Leila Louise Goedhals-Gerber: Department of Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
Anneke De Bod: Department of Logistics, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-37

Abstract: Effectively managing truck driver fatigue is essential for ensuring driver safety, as fatigue negatively impacts health and performance. Since fatigue is a complex, multidimensional issue with various cause–effect relationships, it requires a comprehensive management approach. This systematic review investigates truck driver fatigue management strategies currently available in the road freight industry. The review analyses and synthesises fatigue management recommendations from 32 resources, leading to the identification of overarching themes and the development of suitable frameworks. The findings highlight that fatigue management focuses on operational systems and processes, safety culture and practices, and driver health and well-being. Effective fatigue management should encompass each of these themes, whereby the specific proactive, real-time, and reactive practices are interlinked to support feedback loops, emphasising the application of a change management model. Further research that develops and empirically tests an actionable toolkit integrating the proposed frameworks in a developing country will enhance our understanding of the unique operating environment. This review acts as a foundational tool for management and researchers, highlighting available strategies for managing truck driver fatigue while emphasising that fatigue risk cannot be addressed by a singular approach, but rather that a combination of interconnected systems is required.

Keywords: driver fatigue; fatigue management; risk management; road safety; truck driver; operational systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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