Prime Inc. tackled the issue of sleep deprivation head on last week with a press conference and workshop to help remind truckers and other motorists of the importance of getting a good night's sleep.

In conjunction with National Sleep Awareness Week, sleep expert William C. Dement, often described as the "father of sleep medicine," spoke at a press conference Friday at the truckload carrier's headquarters in Springfield, Mo.
Don Lacey, Prime's Director of Safety, says his company has been working with Dement for about two years and was excited he was able to come to the Springfield area for the conference and a two-day fatigue management seminar.
Prime joined forces with Joplin, Mo.-based Contract Freighters to host the seminar conducted by Dement. Truckers from the two companies, along with safety and training personnel, attended the workshop.
Dement was recently presented with the National Sleep Foundation's first Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to sleep science, sleep medicine and public health. Dement stopped off in Springfield on his way back from accepting the award in Washington, D.C.
"We were lucky that he was able to stop by on his way to Stanford University, where he was scheduled to make a four-day presentation," said Lacey.
During the workshop, Dement focused on how to recognize fatigue, how to spot and diagnose sleep disorders and the "science of sleep," Lacey said.