Roughly half of OTR driving happens between dusk and dawn, when traffic is lighter, fuel-economy is better, and dispatch windows favor overnight runs. Night driving demands a distinct set of skills and equipment habits that experienced drivers develop deliberately over time.
Vision and reaction time
The human eye loses about 90% of color discrimination and 50% of peripheral acuity at night. Reaction time roughly doubles compared to daylight driving. The federal recommendation is to slow down 5 to 10 mph at night and increase following distance by 1 to 2 seconds. Modern Class 8 trucks are designed for this — most have headlights aimed for 250+ feet of forward visibility at low beam and 500+ feet on high beam.
High-beam discipline
Use high beams when no other vehicle is within 500 feet ahead and 200 feet ahead of an oncoming vehicle. Switch to low beams promptly when meeting traffic — temporary glare is the #1 cause of driver-vs-driver night-driving complaints. If an oncoming driver fails to dim, look toward the right edge of your lane (the white fog line) rather than at the oncoming headlights.
Glare and fatigue
Sunset and sunrise are the two highest-glare periods, and they happen during shift transitions for most overnight drivers. Plan to be parked or on a flat divided highway during the worst of glare; avoid demanding intersections, narrow rural roads, or construction zones during sunrise/sunset. Most experienced drivers eat their largest meal at the beginning of the night shift to avoid the fatigue spike that comes with digestion mid-shift.
Animal strikes
Deer-vehicle collisions are most common at dusk and dawn from October through December. In animal-prone areas, slow down 5 to 10 mph below limit, scan road shoulders for reflective eyes, and never swerve to avoid an animal — the swerve maneuver causes more fatalities than the strike itself. If an animal strike is unavoidable, brake firmly and stay in your lane.
Construction zones
Most highway construction happens overnight precisely because traffic is lighter. Construction zones in dim or no light have shifted lane lines, removed shoulders, narrow channels, and frequently confused workers. Slow well in advance, leave extra following distance, and never assume the cone pattern is what you expect.
Sleep before, not during
The single most important night-driving safety practice is sleeping during the day before your shift. The FMCSA's research is unambiguous: drivers who sleep less than 7 hours in the previous 24 hours have crash rates roughly 2x to 4x higher than well-rested drivers. Coffee, energy drinks, and rolling the window down do not substitute for actual sleep.