Life of a truck driver is hard, and full of temptations. That’s why, truckers are a hard core boys doing a heavyweight job in US economy. It’s not for everybody, and number of roughly 50,000 driver shortage confirms that.
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Truck driving is cool and fine paid job, and it looks like it’s gonna be better over the years. There are challenges. Firstly, one has to adapt to a life of a trucker. Quality sleeping and safety precautions are things that driver are always aware of.
Finally, truckers wifes are making (at least) equal sacrifices. I didn’t forget the about constantly growing number of female truck drivers, but for a moment most of truck drivers are male.
With so many things related to truck drivers life, I’ve put an effort in gathering all the tips and advices. I’ve placed them in 5 categories (new drivers, sleeping, safety, Don Logan’s, truckers wives).
Hope you’ll find some useful stuff here. Let’s start.
8 Tips for New Truck Drivers
#1 Safety First
There are countless actions you can take to improve your safety. I won’t write about it at this point, because we’ll come back to this later. Just keep in mind that your job is very dangerous, and it’s always better to be late than endanger yourself and others.
#2 Be a Friend with the Dispatcher
Never forget that they can and will affect your paycheck. So, regular compliments and even some presents once in awhile, won’t hurt. But be careful, not be seen as a bootlicker. Nobody likes them, especially in the trucking industry.
#3 Don’t Refuse a Load
If your company sees you as a worker they can rely on, you will be more valuable to them. Work ethic is something that makes difference between the drivers. Your company will know that, just be patient.
#4 Plan your Diet and Exercise
You are about to spend a lot of time sitting behind the wheel which can damage your body and health. Becoming a truck driver is a challenging job, but some challenges are not so obvious. Dieting and exercise can be placed in that category.
#5 Prepare your own Food on the Road
On the road, most of the food you can get is unhealthy and junk food. This may sound weird, but preparing your own food does matter. One of the ways to do it is using a crock-pot. It really saves the money and keeps you healthy at the same time.
#6 Get to Know your Company
You are a truck driver in the times when lack oftrucking drivers is reaching a highest point ever. That puts you in a position to choose your employer. But sometimes, maybe is better to change different divisions in your current company rather than starting over with a new one.
#7 Deliver on Time
This doesn’t mean fast dangerous driving. On the contrary, people in hurry have probably started too late. It’s same with the truck drivers. Do things in advance and you will be always on time.
#8 Work Hard and Make Money
As much as this look like an overused advice, a truck driver’s job simply works that way. Everyone in the industry will recognize a hard working driver and go the extra mile for him.
10 Advices for Sleeping on the Road
Just like nutrition and regular exercise, as a truck driver, you must have enough sleep. If you don’t have it, health and safety risks are dramatically increasing. Now, how can a truck driver who is 24/7 on the road have a good sleep?
Environment is a key moment for a sleep quality. Therefore, on the road you have to prepare the environment. Still, it’s your mind that you need to calm first.
#1 Think of safety and quiet while closing curtains to block the light.
#2 Ear plugs will also come in handy.
#3 Assign ringtone on your phone only to important contacts.
#4 You should be sleeping in a temperature you enjoy the most. More than other jobs, a truck driving requires a good sleep both on the road and at home.
#5 You should sleep at least 7 hours a day.
#6 Plan your stops so that you can catch enough time for sleeping.
#7 If you can, it would be best to sleep every day at the same time. This will improve the quality of sleep.
#8 What to avoid before you go to sleep?
- eating heavy meals
- drinking beverages, especially alcohol
- taking stimulants like caffeine
- lights from electronic devices
#10 What to do before bedtime?
- ask your friends and family not to call you during your sleeping time
- release the stress at least an hour before bedtime
- do the hygiene with cold water
- get comfortable dress or get undressed
6 Safety Tips for Truck Drivers
Every time you take the wheel, you are also taking array of risks including yourself and public transportation. That’s why a truck driving is not for everyone. So what can you do to improve safety?
#1 Watch the blind spots
Comparing to all others on the road, trucks have the largest area that driver can’t see easily, including place behind side mirrors, directly behind the truck and front of the cab. Don’t forget, that only truck drivers are aware of these spots.
#2 Drive slowly in work zones
Around 30% of all death accidents involve large trucks. Don’t be part of that statistics. You can make up that time in other places, and late delivery is far better outcome than accident in work zone.
#3 Maintain the vehicle
No need to explain how important is maintaining your vehicle. Every time, before you get the wheels turning, check the basics like fluid levels.
LEARN 12 SECRET STEPS HOW TO MAKE $950 MORE PER TRUCK / MONTH
Hey! I'm George J.Magoci and I will send you a FREE eBook where you can learn 12 secret steps how to make $950 more truck/month.
#4 Don’t get overloaded
It’s not just safety concern. If you load too much cargo, you will miss some benefits, like fuel savings, that you can get by spreading it all over the truck.
#5 Set the lower speed on curves
Speed limits are mostly calculated for cars. You really should adapt the speed, especially when going through curve, which means going significantly slower than posted speed limit.
