When you spend long hours alone on the road, it may become more difficult at times for you to enjoy your job. As a trucker, you are aware this job isn’t for everyone. You need to at least somewhat like your job, because if you don’t, you are going to be miserable all the time. It’s important to realize, first and foremost, trucking is not a job, especially OTR truck driving; it is a lifestyle.
Your schedule may be abnormal compared to your family and friends, and you may not get to see them as often as you’d like, but if you like what you’re doing and know why you signed up to be a trucker, it will definitely make things a little bit easier. If you’re a regional or OTR trucker, you have a lot of downtime spent alone away from your family, friends, and home. This leaves more time for entertainment, traveling, and exploring on your own.
Of course there will be days when it may seem hard to get through the day and all you want to do is be home, but they won’t all be like this. So how can you get past days like this and enjoy your life as a truck driver?
Take new adventures
If you’re the adventurous type, take the opportunity to explore somewhere new in every destination. This will make your time go by much faster and you might even give yourself the chance to discover a new hobby.
Contact your family/friends often
If you’re away, there’s nothing better than hearing your family/friends’ voices on the other end of the line, or sending them a letter or a package to let them know you’re thinking of them. Keep up on current events in their lives so you won’t feel like you’re constantly missing all the important things. Luckily, most of us have cell phones so it is easier to keep in contact with our loved ones.
Remember why you chose the trucker lifestyle
On the bad days, you may question why you chose this lifestyle. You may have taken it for the freedom, the ability to travel to beautiful destinations, the chance to meet new people, or because you knew you didn’t want to work in a traditional office environment, or maybe it’s all of the above. When you have a bad or an “off” day, think about why you wanted to be a truck driver, and keep reminding yourself of those reasons. Try to keep a smile and a positive attitude at all times.
Remember, we all have bad days, but what’s important is how you get through them. Don’t dwell on the life you could have had if you weren’t a truck driver on these bad days; if you believe those thoughts, your bad days will slowly begin to outweigh the good ones and you’ll make yourself unhappy.