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The past few years have been pretty tough on the shipping industry. While many businesses have shut down and reopened, truck drivers have been continuously performing their essential service. With 2022 looking to be as busy as ever, New Year’s resolutions for truck drivers may help make life a little easier.
New Year’s Resolutions for truck drivers that can help keep you stay safe, healthy and bring you some added relaxation while on the job include:
A first aid kit is an extremely important piece of equipment that can come in handy. You never know if you’re going to suffer a minor injury while out on the road, so it’s important that you have the supplies you need to patch yourself up.
If you are a driver who already travels with a first aid kit, then take inventory of your items. Once you have, restock on any medical supplies you’re running low on.
Some of the items to have in your first aid are:
While you might not be able to fit this in your first aid kit, you should also carry a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
Take every opportunity to stretch. You can do this while waiting to be loaded/unloaded, stopping at a rest stop for the night, or before you leave the rest stop the next day. As a truck driver, you already know that once you're in the driver’s seat and on the road, you’ll be there for the next few hours.
Staying stuck in one position can be tiring and make your joints stiff. Doing a few simple stretches and holding them for as much as 10 seconds will help keep you limber while you drive.
If you want to stay as mobile as possible when you're not on the road, check out our article on exercises for truck drivers.
Long journeys out on the road mean you’ll go a long time without seeing family and friends. However, that doesn’t mean relationships in your personal life have to suffer.
Modern technology has made it easier than ever to communicate over long distances. You can schedule phone calls and video chats conveniently from your phone every time you stop.
A simpler and less time-consuming alternative is to send out a text to the ones you care about. You can let the people you care about know that you miss them and let them respond at their own pace.
As a truck driver, it’s important to be on time to your destination. One way you can help ensure you do that is by avoiding left turns.
Taking a left turn requires you to cross over traffic. Waiting for the opposite side of traffic to clear can take up too much time if there is a lot of traffic coming from that direction.
If there’s a certain gas station, supermarket, or another location you want to stop at, then find one on the right side of the road. The only time you should disregard this rule is if you're extremely low on gas or if your route requires you to cross over traffic.
Using progressive muscle relaxation is another good way that you can relax when you have some free time on the road. This form of relaxation involves tensing a group of muscles in your body for 30 seconds. Once you’ve finished one group of muscles, move on to the next.
Truck driving is stressful and that stress is transferred to the muscles. Progressive muscle relaxation helps remove that stress. You can use this type of relaxation technique in between loading and unloading.
Truck drivers are two times more likely to be smokers compared to other U.S. workers. Smoking is especially hard to quit when you're out on the road for so long.
One reason is that smoking gives the driver something to occupy themselves while on the road. Another reason is that truck drivers use their smoking habit to fight fatigue.
If you want to make 2022 the year you quit smoking, then make sure you’re well-rested. On top of the relaxation techniques we’ve suggested, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated will help prevent being tired.
Making sure you're rested every day at work will help give you a slight edge when you quit smoking. They’re various methods to quit smoking. You can start by smoking one less cigarette each day or start chewing gum to give your mouth something to do.
There are many methods and ultimately it’s up to you to find the one that works best for you.
Reading is great for many different reasons. For one, you can find many entertaining tales within the pages of a book. Whether you’re following the exploits of adventuring or watching a detective solve a murder, there are more than enough books that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
There’s also a large amount of information that you can find in books. You can learn about history, a person, or even a new skill.
Another benefit to reading is that it will help you relax. By getting lost in the pages of the story you're reading, you allow yourself to get away from the stresses of truck driving.
If you’d rather listen to a book then read, look into audiobooks. We have an article that will help you gain access to audiobooks for free.
Whether you're pulling into a rest stop for the night or are waiting for your truck to be loaded/unloaded, take the time to relax. Long hours of doing nothing but staring at the road can be mind-numbing. Meditating is a good way to take the edge off.
Meditating can be as simple as closing your eyes and taking a deep breath as you count up to ten. For others it's imagining yourself somewhere you enjoy and feel comfortable. You can also download some free meditation apps that will be more effective in your meditation routine.
Some apps to consider include:
Regardless of the method you use, meditating will refresh your mind before you get back out on the road.
If you're dissatisfied with your current situation as a truck driver, then getting a job with ABCO should be on your list of New Year’s Resolutions. At ABCO we offer a variety of truck driving jobs locally as well as nationwide. You can search for numerous driver openings on our truck driving jobs page.
Truckers that work for us will make $67,000 or more based on their experience. One of our top concerns at ABCO is providing a safe environment for our drivers. That is why we make sure they have the best equipment to complete their job.
Long journeys on the road make family time and rest important for truck drivers. ABCO provides its drivers with a schedule that will let them recharge and see their loved ones.
To be eligible to become a driver for ABCO, you need to be 23 or older, have a Class A CDL, a clean MVR and a verified year of experience as a stable OTR.
If you’re ready to change your truck driving career for the better, then apply now at our trucking job application page.
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