Studies show that loneliness is the most common mental health concern among truck drivers, and the problem continues unabated. While trucking provides a secured livelihood and an opportunity to see the country on a company’s expense, it takes a huge toll on drivers’ family and social life. Truck drivers of all kinds don’t have time to socialize. Even local truckers have long duty hours which only allow them to eat and sleep. In this post, we talk about the different strategies truckers can use to beat the loneliness that comes with the job.
How do truckers deal with loneliness? The best way to deal with loneliness as a trucker is to keep in touch with the people that matter most in your life. This can require getting a smartphone with an internet connection for video and data calls. You can also build relationships with other truckers and even work as a team.
Loneliness is an unfortunate aspect of trucking. It forces many drivers to leave the job and prevents the younger generation from taking juicy offers from trucking companies. People want to spend more time with their family and loved ones, regardless of how much they can earn driving rigs all over the country. However, the situation of the industry shows no sign of changing soon.
It is important to know how to deal with the mental burden of driving long hours coast to coast and border to border without speaking with anyone. Being a trucker is tough, but the following strategies can help you cope better with the loneliness.
Make Deliberate Efforts to Keep in Touch
It’s difficult to stay in touch when you are on the road for 4-6 weeks at a time. But you can always hear from home if you have a solid plan to do so. Plan to speak with your family.
A smartphone allows you to video chat or speak with your family and friends at truck stops and even on the go. If you prefer the old telephone, you can always speak at length with people at home before hitting the snooze.
When you stay in touch with family and friends, you don’t feel lonely anymore. And they also don’t miss you as much as if you didn’t call or text them. With that, you can plan how to spend your home time to make every moment count.
Drive with Your Spouse
Spouses of truckers are at the receiving end of the long absence of their husbands and wives. But there is a growing trend in the industry as many companies now allow drivers to bring their partners along. If your partner is fine with the idea, he/she can get a CDL so both of you can become team drivers. That way, you get to spend more time together, earn more, and cover more ground in half the time. How will you feel lonely when your significant other is right by your side all day long?
Have an Animal Companion
Your favorite animal can help cushion the loneliness of trucking. If you can meet the demands of travelling with your pet, you may not need a human companion to share your time with during long haul drives.
Owner-operators can do as they please, with some travelling with two dogs at the same time. More trucking companies are also allowing drivers to carry their pets with them. This has led to increased productivity, and helped truckers stay healthier and happier while away from their family.
However, animals have special needs. Create time to exercise, feed, hydrate, and entertain your pets. They also need to go for bathroom breaks and not all truck stops or motels carry pet food and supplies.
It is also important to prepare for extreme weather so your animal does not die of dehydration or freeze to death. As long as your company permits and you can take care of your pets, taking them along will make your trips far more bearable.
Plan Your Home Time
Since you have a few days to spend with your family, make it count. If there is no clear-cut arrangement for home time, you may end up spending your break at home alone or on unimportant activities. This is also why you need to be in touch with your family. Discuss beforehand over what you want to do when you get home.
Would your kids love to see the latest Harry Potter movie? Will you be visiting your parents? Or you want to have a private time with your wife as both of you binge-watch her favorite TV series while devouring a mountain of homemade muffins? Whatever you do, it’s the quality of the time spent together that matters, not the quantity.
Learn a Language
The solitude of a trucker’s life presents an excellent opportunity to learn one or two languages. How do you do this? Buy a quality language course and immerse yourself into the lessons as your drive across the country. In no time, you will learn to use your new tongue.
Not only does this make you better at communicating with other people, but it can boost your earning ability. Companies are always looking to hire bilingual truckers who can work across the border. You will command a higher rate with a fluent use of Spanish or French.
Become an Extrovert
Being a trucker is solitary, but it can become extremely lonely for people who find it difficult to socialize. If you are an introvert, making friends or chatting people up at truck stops and terminals may almost be impossible. You might feel you don’t care about other people’s words, but it gets to you eventually. Also, people will develop a wrong impression about you if they find you snobbish even when they try to reach out.
To save your sanity, get out of your shell and force yourself to meet other people. Chat with other drivers and have a good laugh over a hot meal. It’s soul-lifting and engenders camaraderie. Talk to a new person every day, don’t be shy.
Pursue an Important Goal
It is easier to bear the solitude if you are working towards a huge goal. Are you saving to pay your son’s college education? Or you want to buy your own rig in the next 3 years to become an owner-operator?
Whether you are planning to buy a home, become a farmer or own a huge stake in a tech startup, having an important goal makes the drudgery of trucking worthwhile. If working as an OTR driver for 6 years will set you up for life and remove all financial worries, the sacrifice is worth the reward. What are you driving for?
Listen to Soul-lifting Music and Audiobooks
Are you a lover of the classics? Whether you love fiction or nonfiction, you can turn your solitary hours to good use by listening to the works of the greatest thinkers and composers in the world. There are hundreds of top quality podcasts that offer priceless wisdom on a wide range of human endeavor.
You can learn a new skill while driving, listen to fascinating stories or enjoy the best jams on the planet. If you are a lover of great music, you will never have a dull moment as you deliver your cargo around the country.
Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals of the body. These neurochemicals not only make you happier, but they will help dampen the feeling of loneliness. While it may be difficult to work out when you drive 11 hours per day, you can always squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise at truck stops.
How Much Do OTR Truckers Make?
According to Indeed.com, OTR drivers make an average of $82,000 per year, making them one of the highest earners of all truckers. OTR or over the road trucking requires spending long times on the road. As an OTR driver, you live and sleep in the sleeper berth of your truck. You may be away from home for 4-6 weeks at a time, and some drivers spend up to 6 months on the road.
OTR driving places a huge strain on the truckers’ health and family life. The pay might be higher than other trucking jobs, but it is also more demanding and riskier. If family life is important to you, consider driving a local or regional route to get more home time.
How Many Hours Do Truckers Drive a Day?
The number of hours truck drivers cover per day depends on the trucking they do. However, the law mandates all CDL drivers to drive a maximum of 11 hours per day. They are also required to take 10 consecutive hours of break once their Hours of Service is complete.
In the USA, drivers can only drive a maximum of 70 hours within an eight-day period, although Canada allows truckers to cover the same distance in seven days. Drivers must also take a mandatory break after 14 hours of resuming work.
In theory, this may mean you have 10 hours to sleep. But work and life can eat into that time, leaving only a few hours for drivers to sleep. This and many other factors contribute to fatigue and increase the risk of fatal accidents among truckers.
