The last part of a shift is often the most dangerous, and it is not limited to long-haul truck drivers.
New data presented by Geotab shows drivers are 25% more likely to have a safety incident during the final quarter of their shift, even when they stay within legal hours-of-service limits. Fatigue builds as the day goes on. Circadian disruption from switching between day and night work makes it worse. Compliance with rules does not cancel biology.
The same pattern shows up in vans and pickups used for local and regional work. A driver who has already made a dozen stops, handled loading and unloading, and dealt with traffic is more likely to have a hard brake, a close call, or a distraction-related event in the final hours. The vehicle size changes. The fatigue risk does not.
Geotab analyzed Canadian fleet telematics and found the elevated risk concentrates in the last fourth of the shift. Overnight driving produced fewer harsh events and collisions than daytime driving, yet fatigue still rose toward the end of the shift. Switching between day and night schedules disrupted circadian rhythms and further increased risk.
A 2020 Samsara analysis of U.S. commercial fleets found a similar pattern: unsafe behaviors such as harsh acceleration, harsh braking, and tailgating were significantly more common at the start and especially the end of shifts. Harsh acceleration was notably higher in the final portion of the shift.
These findings come from commercial fleets that already track driving behavior. They apply to any operation where people drive for several hours, make multiple stops, and finish the day under pressure to complete the last jobs.
External resource: The original Geotab presentation summary is covered in Truck News.
Local and regional drivers do not have the same hours-of-service rules as long-haul truckers, but they still accumulate fatigue. Common contributors include:
A hard brake or distracted moment in a cargo van or pickup still creates risk for the driver, other road users, and the business. One incident can mean downtime, repair costs, insurance consequences, and lost work.
You don't need a large safety department to do this. Focus on three areas.
1. Watch the end of the day, not just total hours
Review telematics or simple driver feedback for patterns in the final two hours. Look for increases in harsh braking, speeding, or near-misses. Patterns over several days are more useful than a single event.
2. Make short breaks normal
A 10- to 15-minute stop when a driver feels their focus dropping is more effective than pushing through. Treat the break as part of the job, not a delay. Managers who have ridden along tend to support this more readily.
3. Reduce end-of-shift pressure
Build routes and schedules with a small buffer at the end of the day. Avoid loading the last jobs so tightly that drivers feel they must hurry. Dispatcher and manager awareness of fatigue risk matters as much as any rule.
Drivers are more likely to report fatigue or stop for a break when they know it will not be treated as a performance problem. Frame safety conversations around patterns and support, not single alerts. When a driver says they need a short pause, the response should protect the rest of the shift rather than question the request.
Temporary fixes such as extra caffeine provide only short relief. Cumulative fatigue still needs real recovery time between shifts.
Focus drops in the final hours of a shift, and small mistakes become more likely. Planning for that reality keeps more vans and pickups on the road without incident.
Need help matching vehicles and schedules to how your drivers actually work? Contact Wilmar. We can review how your fleet is used and structure leases so the vehicles support safer, more realistic daily operations.
Have you noticed more issues or near-misses late in the day? Share what you have seen in the comments or reach out directly.
Q: Does the 25% higher risk apply only to long-haul truck drivers?
A: The Geotab data came from commercial fleets, but the underlying fatigue pattern shows up in other commercial driving. Local and regional van and pickup drivers who work multi-stop days face the same end-of-shift drop in focus.
Q: If our drivers do not fall under hours-of-service rules, does this still matter?
A: Yes. Fatigue builds from time on the road, stops, traffic, and pressure to finish. Legal limits (or the absence of them) don't prevent risk from rising late in the day.
Q: What is the simplest thing a small fleet can do?
A: Build a short buffer into the end of the day and treat a 10- to 15-minute break as normal when a driver needs it. Review any available telematics for patterns in the last couple of hours.
Q: Should we punish drivers for harsh events late in the shift?
A: Focus first on patterns and support. A non-punitive response makes drivers more likely to stop or speak up before a small issue becomes an incident.
Q: How does shift switching affect risk?
A: Moving between day and night schedules disrupts circadian rhythms and raises fatigue risk, even when total hours stay reasonable. Limit switches when possible and give extra recovery time when they are required.
Q: Can telematics help a small fleet with this?
A: Yes. Even basic tracking of harsh braking or speeding by time of day can show whether risk rises at the end of shifts. Patterns over several days are more useful than single events.
Q: What is more effective than extra coffee?
A: A short break and adequate recovery time between shifts. Caffeine provides temporary alertness but does not replace rest.