Truck Driver with Tinnitus

[zeroday]

Hello everyone
I'm Michael
I was a truck driver for 25 years and just retired...my tinnitus began when I became an over the road driver...I traveled 48 states and southern Canada...the job was more of a lifestyle than a job, you bring your bedroom with you

Anyway long story short...when it first developed it was loud, and I mean really loud...I couldn't even listen to the radio while I was driving it hurt my ears so much...went to a doctor and of course no treatment available...the cause? most people have never been inside a big truck much less driven down the road in one...it is LOUD...you have a 4 ton diesel engine just feet in front of you and add the road noise and you can imagine...now do that 11 hours a day every day...

Eventually the intensity of the ringing came down to a comfortable constant high pitched ring...and now I don't even think about it...it has become so normal I don't remember what it was like not to hear the ringing...

 

[Mike K]

I feel for you fellow Michael. Sorry to hear it happened on the job! But I'm glad to hear that you have been able to cope with it since the level has decreased. Keep up that positive attitude and continue to roll with it! I hope it continues to decrease oh and welcome to the forums

 

[zeroday]

Thanks for the welcome...many years ago the intensity decreased to what it is now and has never changed...I don't know if that's good or not but as it is so much of my daily life that its normal...on occasion I like to sit in silence with the ringing prevalent and just meditate...

 

[billie48]

It seems to be a common problem among truck drivers. This the story of Jade the lady truck driver. She drives those 800-tonne trucks in mining. She said she suffered from her loud tinnitus which can be heard above those big trucks. But then she realizes that 70% of her colleagues have T and mostly don't sufferer as she did. So she changes her approach and then she turns around her struggle. Here is her story:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/6-months-tinnitus-still-going-strong-but-so-am-i.3226/

 

[zeroday]

That's a great experience...

 

[Ecip]

Hello everyone
I'm Michael
I was a truck driver for 25 years and just retired...my tinnitus began when I became an over the road driver...I traveled 48 states and southern Canada...the job was more of a lifestyle than a job, you bring your bedroom with you

Anyway long story short...when it first developed it was loud, and I mean really loud...I couldn't even listen to the radio while I was driving it hurt my ears so much...went to a doctor and of course no treatment available...the cause? most people have never been inside a big truck much less driven down the road in one...it is LOUD...you have a 4 ton diesel engine just feet in front of you and add the road noise and you can imagine...now do that 11 hours a day every day...

Eventually the intensity of the ringing came down to a comfortable constant high pitched ring...and now I don't even think about it...it has become so normal I don't remember what it was like not to hear the ringing...

Hey there,
I also drove for 6 years, and for about a period of 1 year, after an exhaust replacement, I did think the truck I drove was louder than before, but it never bothered me too much.
Anyway, I've been offered a job going back to driving, and I went for a quick road test with the guy; it's a 2012 volvo, much quieter than what I've driven before that, and it didnt bother my ears.
I've been told by every doctor I've seen that whatever the cause of my tinnitus it doesnt seem to be related to noise exposure because all of my tests have been normal.
Some other professionals seem to think that it was due to sitting in one position for a long period of time, as well as some bruxism I have going on.

Anyway, how long did it take for your tinnitus to calm down once it started, and have you driven truck for long once it began?
When mine started, I wasnt even driving. I had two days off, was sitting on the couch watching TV with the fiance when suddenly everything went to shit. Now, 5 months down the road, I can still hear it, but it is calmer than before, and I can deal with it. The last thing I want to happen is for it to get worse by my decision to drive again for the summer until winter.

 

[zeroday]

I started driving in 1991 and class 8 trucks were loud and not built for driver comforts...It would rattle driving down the road...You may have heard the term "Freightshaker" thats why LOL...My ears started ringing about 2-3 years in, very intense. I couldn't even listen to the radio it hurt so much. It took about 8-9 months to decrease in intensity and become comfortable...after that I drove for 21 more years...

 

[Ecip]

I started driving in 1991 and class 8 trucks were loud and not built for driver comforts...It would rattle driving down the road...You may have heard the term "Freightshaker" thats why LOL...My ears started ringing about 2-3 years in, very intense. I couldn't even listen to the radio it hurt so much. It took about 8-9 months to decrease in intensity and become comfortable...after that I drove for 21 more years...

Wow, sounds like you really hammered through, there. I don't think I could have continued to drive. Good to hear though that you got better after 8 months and it calmed down.

Luckily trucks have come a long way and are a lot quieter now. That Volvo I was mentioning is pretty damn quiet..id say 80~85dB on the highway.

When my tinnitus started I was driving a peterbilt with custom exhaust, and those annoyingly loud Jake brakes. Again, I don't know if the noise of the truck caused my tinnitus, or the constant sitting in one position and bad posture, or the bruxism/teeth clenching at night, but that truck was around 90 to 95 dB, and with the Jake's it would hit 100 to 105 dB.

 

[zeroday]

I know what you mean...my last truck was a 2013 Volvo, by far the best fleet truck out there...

 

[Ecip]

So, the good: its been more than a month now since i started driving again, I've been wearing ear plugs quite consistently, and they make a huge difference in noise level. I can also still listen to the radio at the same volume level as without earplugs while driving, and that's a bonus, as I like my CBC radio 1 lol.

The bad: I woke up from loud ringing this morning around 2:30. Its the first time this has happened in 2 or 3 months. Usually tinnitus would be around a 4 or 5 going to bed, and a 1 to 2 waking up in the morning. This morning I'd describe it at around 7 to 8, and now its probably around 3 to 4 after sleeping another couple of hours. I seriously hope this is just a spike, and that I'm not doing more damage.
The in cab noise, as measured by my cell phone app, is around 84 dB, sometimes going as high as to 90dB hitting bumps and stuff, but always wearing earplugs.