EVERGREEN

Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences and Green Asia Strategy

ISSN:2189-0420 (Print until Mar 2020)
ISSN:2432-5953 (Online)

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A Comparative Study of Mental Workload Among Truck Drivers: The Effects of Truck Type and Age Using HRV Metrics

Siti Hidayanti Mutiara Kurnia1, Ludfi Pratiwi Bowo1,*, Hastiya Annisa Fitri1, Prastya Rizky Ramadhan1, Tetty Sulastry Mardiana1, Sinung Nugroho1, Made Asri Puspadewi1, Ari Widyanti2, Ridwan Aji Budi Prasetyo3
1Research Center for Transportation Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia
2Department of Industrial Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia
3Department of Psychology, University of Brawijaya, Indonesia
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
E-mail: ludf001@brin.go.id (LPB)
Evergreen, Vol. 12, Iss. 04, pp. 2046–2057, 2025
DOI: 10.5109/7402636
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Received: May 26, 2025 | Revised: September 02, 2025 | Accepted: December 16, 2025 | Published: December 2025
Abstract
This study explores the effects of truck type and driver age on mental workload and driving performance among professional truck drivers in Indonesia. Thirty drivers—operating wing box trucks, tanker trucks, and dump trucks—participated in a simulated motorcycle detection task while their heart rate variability (HRV) was continuously monitored. Performance metrics included response time, misses, and errors, while mental workload was assessed using HRV parameters such as LF power, HF power, and RMSSD. MANOVA results revealed significant differences across truck types, with dump truck drivers showing slower response times, more errors, and lower HRV, indicating higher cognitive and physiological workload. Age also played a role: drivers aged 40 and above exhibited greater performance decline and reduced HRV indices, suggesting diminished cognitive flexibility and stress resilience. Correlation analysis confirmed that longer response times and increased errors were associated with lower RMSSD, reinforcing the relationship between elevated workload and impaired performance. These findings highlight the importance of truck-type-specific and age-adaptive safety interventions, including targeted training, ergonomic design improvements, and physiological monitoring systems. The study contributes to the development of human-centered strategies for enhancing driver well-being and improving road safety in freight transport.
Keywords
driver age; driving performance; HRV; mental workload; truck type
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