Truck driving is a lifestyle that
many truckers must acclimate to, which includes what works best for them when
first embarking upon their career. Our instructors were discussing some of the
questions they get asked. Some of them were about meals and how to stay active
while on the road, especially for a long period of time. The instructors felt
that they needed to also know how to deal with stress. There are several ways
that you can make healthier selections, stay active, and ways you can
decompress from strain/stress on down time.
Health and Wellness is an important
subject topic and has been explored more over the last decade as research has
begun to uncover the underlying causes to back pain, high blood pressure, type
2 diabetes, and even mental health. The way to decrease your chances to
encounter these things is to be proactive. Eating healthy, being active, and
learning how to cope with the stress and strain you may encounter both in
trucking and in daily life.
We are first going to speak about meal
preparation. Mr. Bailey’s first piece of advice is to “buy an inverter if the
truck you are driving does not have one”. Speaking with a few career drivers,
they have refrigerators, microwaves, and sometimes even small crock pots in
their trucks. Ideally, you should try and plan your bigger meals ahead and
always have snacks in your truck. This affords them the opportunity to prepare
meals beforehand, place them in the fridge/freezer, and then warm them up. A
tip from Mr. Reese is to “split these meals up to put in the freezer/fridge in baggies
instead of containers so you can utilize your room”. Keep paper bowls in your
truck along with spoons/forks. There are some healthy recipes at the end of the
blog. Below are some additional suggestions.
Other meal items:
Oatmeal
Canned Soup
Tuna packs
Lunch meat
Wheat bread
Snack Items:
Canned tuna
Nonfat yogurt
Fruits
Vegetables
Low-fat cheese
Canned nuts
Meal replacement bars
Sunflower seeds
Water
Some drivers are known to make the
best use out of their truck. They will purchase bands that they can utilize to
exercise with along with dumbbells. Others will have a bike rack on their truck
and ride a bike during their off times. Some opt to go for a run if they are
parked in a safe location. Lastly, some drivers have shared that they will get
memberships at a few gyms around their same pickups/drop offs and utilize
those.
It can be difficult being cooped up
in a truck for hours and hours on end. That can weigh heavily on the mind, the
stress of the job along with stressors from home can cause anxiety and other issues
such as depression. Therefore, it is important to set your truck up with items that
you can enjoy when you have down time during your trip. Items could be iPad/tablets
with games or books on them, books, video games, television, and/or crossword
puzzles. Keep in contact with your family while you are on the road. This can
help decrease the stress levels from home situations if you are an active part.
Having a good, trusting friend to talk to during life stressors could be
another way to help alleviate the stress. Lastly, being able to get an adequate
amount of sleep has a lot to do with the mind. Overall, being able to relax and
get your mind from the stressful situations can increase your cognition,
awareness, and overall performance.
Following these basic tips can help
eliminate several various issues, help with clarity, and make your truck
driving experience more pleasurable. Keeping your mind, body, and social life
healthy will improve your overall performance. By taking some of these things
and applying them to your life, you could have more energy, feel more control
over your life, and have a more positive outlook on things. Taking care of
yourself should be a priority, there is only one you.
Recipes:
Breakfast Casserole https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/low-carb-breakfast-casserole-with-sausage-cheese-gluten-free/
Vegetable soup https://www.cookingclassy.com/vegetable-soup/
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