A main struggle for truck drivers is finding things to do during your down time while on the road. Everything is fine and dandy for most truck drivers when you’re actually driving. However, it is when you aren’t driving that things start to get a little boring.
Limits to driving hours are necessary, but the extra time it gives you isn’t necessarily your friend. Boredom can set in really quickly, and you need to do more than simply sleep to pass the time.
During your travels, you won’t always be familiar with your surroundings. And even if you are, you can’t exactly take off and drive to the movie theater in your truck.
So, what’s a lonely driver to do? Hunker down in your sleeper? Luckily for you there are a lot of options.
Sleep
How about simple sleep? It’s important to have hobbies, but don’t let it dominate your rack time. Getting plenty of rest is vital.
Entertainment
Of course, you have the old standbys: reading and writing or some sort of hobby. These are all tremendous ways to pass the time, and can be educational for you as well. Many truck drivers bring DVD and blu ray discs or stream movies from services like Netflix or Amazon. The Internet gives you almost unlimited access to video and television on demand, depending on your programming provider.
Exercise
Have you considered getting out of the truck and getting a little exercise? While you should take caution where you run depending on the availability of safe areas, you can get some fresh air and exercise outside of the truck. You can invest in a mat to keep in the truck if you want to do calisthenics right outside of the truck, or you can go for a jog.
Online Games
Some drivers are gamers, and this can be a fun way to pass the time (and stay social via Internet connections), but you have to be careful to resist the urge to stay up all night playing. Also, you may run into bandwidth issues even if you can find a solid WiFi connection, as some free WiFi connections limit how much you can use (and gaming takes a ton, comparatively speaking).
Become a Tourist
If you want to plan your trip out a bit more, you can always try stopping around destinations and do a little exploring. This can certainly be more difficult to plot out, but can be fun and rewarding if you do it right.
Whatever you do, keeping yourself entertained while on the road is vital to your success as a truck driver. The old expression goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” and so too can it make truck driving a dull profession if you don’t take care. Keep things fun!
