Category: Truck Driver’s Corner

tired truck driver

The Challenges Of Being A Truck Driver

Posted on by Ryan Clay

It is no secret that the truck driving profession is one of the most difficult in the world. Truck drivers face a number of challenges on a daily basis. Despite the challenges, many people choose to become truck drivers because they enjoy the freedom and independence the job offers. If you are considering a career in truck driving, it is important to be aware of the challenges that you may face.

What are the challenges of being a truck driver?

As a truck driver, there are many different challenges that you can face. Knowing these challenges can help you better meet them and prepare for them. Knowing them will also help you assess whether you want to be one or not.

Long Hours On The Road

One of the most difficult challenges that truck drivers face is being on the road for long hours. Truck drivers can be on the road for days or even weeks at a time. This can lead to fatigue and make it difficult to stay focused. It is important to take breaks when you can and to get plenty of rest to avoid becoming too tired.

Staying Away from Home

Another challenge that truck drivers face is being away from home for long periods of time. This can be difficult for many people, as they miss their family and friends. It is important to stay in touch with your loved ones while you are on the road and to make sure that you have a support system in place.

Dealing with Weather Conditions

Truck drivers also have to deal with a number of weather conditions while on the road. From snowstorms to thunderstorms, truck drivers must be prepared for anything. This can be difficult, as it can make it hard to stay on schedule. It is important to plan your route ahead of time and to allow extra time for delays.

Dealing with Traffic

Another challenge that truck drivers face is dealing with traffic. Traffic can be heavy at times, which can make it difficult to get where you need to go. It is important to be patient and to plan your route ahead of time to avoid getting caught in traffic.

Tips To Avoid Fatigue While Driving A Truck

Truck drivers often face long hours on the road. This can lead to fatigue and make it difficult to stay focused. It is important to take breaks when you can and to get plenty of rest to avoid becoming too tired. Here are some other tips to help you avoid fatigue while driving a truck:

-Schedule your driving time wisely

-Take advantage of rest areas

-Plan your route ahead of time

-Eat healthy meals

-Get plenty of rest

-Stay hydrated

If you are considering a career in truck driving, it is important to be aware of the challenges that you may face. With proper preparation and a positive attitude, you can overcome any challenge that comes your way.

truck driver retirement

Retiring As A Truck Driver

Posted on by Ryan Clay

Being a truck driver is a great profession. It’s like I get paid to travel for a living, and there’s alot of follow truckers I meet every day that feel the same way.

While it’s not for everyone, some people even choose to be a truck driver as a second career after retiring from their first careers.

At some point there will come a time when your days as a truck driver are up. While I’ve got a few more years behind the wheel, many long haulers are asking themselves at what age to retire and what do I need to be ready to make the switch.

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Basic Requirements of Becoming a Truck Driver

Posted on by Ryan Clay

Tired of your old job? Maybe trucking might strike your next job destination thought as it pays off well. Trucking career packs the goods of both world, it’s challenging yet rewarding at the same time.

Targeting the truck driver vacancy isn’t that easy as it looks, you need to fulfill some basic requirements first. This piece of writing will reveal you the very basic needs of becoming a truck driver.

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Easy Exercises For Truckers

Posted on by Ryan Clay

We have heard a lot of excuses when it comes to exercise for the truckers, you might see them saying that they do not have time for it or either they do not want to spend to get a gym membership. Well, it seems quite relevant as also, when you look at the busy and the ever-changing schedules of the truckers, you can easily make out that it is really tough for them to take out time from their busy schedules and hit the gym on a regular basis. It almost seems impossible, but a trucker does not have to be a permanent member of the gym in order to exercise on a regular basis. There are a number of exercises that a trucker can do without even going to the gym.

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Is Truck Driving Only For Males? Find out!

Posted on by Ryan Clay

With rising demand, the trucking industry needs to get smarter in order to address the shortage of workers it’s facing. According to American Trucking Association, there is an urgent need of 48,000 drivers nationwide. They also project that this shortfall is only going to rise in the coming years. Do you know that out of all the workforce in the United States, 47% consists of women workers? But when you see the stats in the trucking sector, women drivers are only 4 – 5%. This has been the case for more than 2 decades now. If we can get more women drivers, this shortfall will quickly come down.

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Cool Facts About Truck Drivers You Didn’t Know

Posted on by Ryan Clay

The truck driver is an occupation like any other. However, the level of skills required for a professional truck driver is more than any other occupation. Drivers need to be on top of their game every time. They can’t afford to be off-guarded on duty as lives depend on their driving. Truck driving is also considered one of the most demanding jobs out there. Not everyone can handle the pressure and the lifestyle a professional truck driver has to adapt.

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How to Avoid Stress Out On The Highway

Posted on by Ryan Clay

Getting aggravated by other drivers and feeling stressful on the road is common amongst truck drivers. We can all get mad at times, No? But the thing is, letting your emotions get the best of you out on the highway can cause a lot of harm. How top truck drivers deals with road rage and pressure are the reasons why they are a step above the average drivers.

This article contains the top recommendation from professional drivers and authorities to stay calm and composed on the road.

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The Hardest Part Of Becoming a Truck Driver

Posted on by Ryan Clay

Whenever you start any carrier, for instance, there are always problems that you face in the beginning but slowly and gradually things become smooth. As we are covering trucking, therefore we will discuss the problems that a rookie or a newbie truck driver faces while starting his career. Some of the most common problems faced by newbie truck drivers are as under:

  • Downshifting and double clutching.
  • They find it really difficult to carry out a backing maneuver successfully.
  • The proper adjustment of the mirrors and the driver’s seat.
  • How to start from an inclined stop.
  • They find right-hand turns to be really problematic.
  • Parallel parking of that heavy mass is really difficult for most of the rookie drivers.

THE Main Hurdle

The hurdles that a truck driver faces at the start of his career are mentioned above, but all these hurdles can be addressed with proper guidance and practice. One thing that most of the rookie and even sometimes the experienced drivers forget is not the physical challenge but the mental challenge that they are faced with.

Don’t Believe Everything On Internet

Whenever anyone starts or steps into a new career, he does proper research before doing so. This is exactly where the biggest problem in the trucking industry creeps in. The internet is the primary source for your research and it is full of misinterpretations and false information when it comes to the trucking industry. You will find a lot of information telling you how the companies stop the truck drivers from earning a handsome salary. Even you will find a lot of videos scattered all around YouTube telling you the exact same thing.

What To Do?

The key to success in starting any carrier is to find out how you would excel or succeed in it, but if you start with confusions in your mind you will not be able to. A truck driver has to overcome these confusions in order to be a successful head behind the wheels.

Just consider the trucking industry for a moment, what is the principle of making money in this industry? The companies have to move freight from one place to another and the more they move the freight the more they will earn. Therefore, the success of a company is directly proportional to the success of the driver, so there is absolutely no way that a company would not want their drivers to be successful or earn more money.

We have three suggestion for you – Just work hard, believe in yourself and continue polishing your skills! And yes, don’t TEXT while driving 🙂

Tired Truck Driver

Tips to Stay Awake During a Long Haul

Posted on by Ryan Clay

Long haul trips can be quite tedious.  I know alot of driver that find some kind of meditative peace during long hauls, but for me they’re are often boring after about the first 15 or 20 miles. I start to notice your tires making that humming sound against the road, which does little to add to whatever I’m listening to on the radio.  In addition, most of the scenery on these routes are the same, especially since I frequently drive on the same route – basically seeing all there is to see. These two potentially lethal combinations i.e. nothing visually stimulating to keep your attention and the constant din from the tires, are what contribute to road fatigue, which eventually leads to drooping eyelids.

When truckers are struggling to stay awake on the road, their first instinct is to pull over and grab something to help them ward off fatigue. And, sure enough, when they walk into their favorite truck shop there are all kinds of sugary and energy products promising to provide the ideal way to stay awake while driving. But research has shown that these quick fixes not only pose a health risk, but they also leave you more tired than before once effects have worn off.

So what should you do when you have a long-haul assignment and you know that somewhere along the way you will, inevitably, get tired? Below we take a look at 7 natural ways to stay awake longer on the road…

1. Adequate preparations beforehand

Preparing for a long distance haul can be pivotal in not getting tired which is why you should get enough rest and sleep prior to embarking on your journey. Resting prior to a long drive ensures that your senses are well rested in order for them to perform optimally and sharpen your reaction times while driving.

2. Open your window

This is another great way of keeping tiredness at bay owing to the resultant breeze of air that flows throughout the vehicle once a window is open. The only downside to this is that if you wear contact lenses, your eyes are more likely to dry out from the cold breeze.

3. Drive with a passenger

It is always easier to avoid tiredness by driving with a passenger as this ensures that there is always someone who can prevent you from dozing off. Moreover, it is safer to talk to a passenger as opposed to talking on the phone which is both dangerous and illegal for you and other road users. When tackling a long haul with a passenger, engaging in conversation keeps your brain active since you are focused on the subject of the conversation thus avoiding tiredness.

4. Alternate driving

This is, undoubtedly, one of the best ways of ensuring that a long haul trucker does not fall asleep as the passenger ought to be resting and ready to swap with the driver at a moment’s notice should they start to feel drowsy. To ascertain that the passenger is well prepared to take over driving, they should be relaxing and resting in the interim.

5. Music

Music can be a powerful tool to make sure that a driver does not fall asleep while they drive. It is, therefore, advisable to play music that you do not necessarily like because it will annoy you and ensure that you stay awake (avoid relaxing music as it is likely to make you more tired). Try up beat, fast music, or music you can sing along to.

6. Air conditioning

Nowadays, most vehicles come equipped with air conditioning, which is an easy way of ensuring that you do not fall asleep while driving. If you decide to employ air conditioning during your drive, ensure that the temperature is well below your ordinary body temperature in order to help your brain stay alert. Remember, too low and your brain will not be able to function well. The reason why a lower temperature is advocated for is because heat makes us relax and feel sleepy.

7. Stay hydrated

Drinks are a good way of staying awake when driving. However, avoid those that contain a lot of sugar because after a while, your body is likely to start feeling drowsy. The quicker the sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, the more profound the effect. Drinks such as coffee work extremely well to keep you awake owing to caffeine (although you will probably need frequent bathroom breaks which should keep your mind alert thinking of where the next rest area is).

Thanks for reading and stay awake and safe on road…Ryan