Freight drivers are on the road for longer hours, and all that time effectively sitting still in the cab can take a toll on your health – sometimes in ways you wouldn’t expect. We’ve put together a list of eight ways long-haulers can make sure they stay healthy and fit on the road.
1. Stay Hydrated
While the old “eight glasses of water every day” is a bit trite, it remains true people with more access to water than freight drivers often still don’t get enough water. Make sure you’re well stocked on drinks in the cab and try and drink enough to head off being thirsty, rather than only grabbing a bottle as a response to it. A surprising range of minor physical ailments and aches that could bother you behind the wheel are remedied by staying well-hydrated, and it’s a huge boon to your long-term health in general.
2. Mind Your Nutrition
Unfortunately, the most convenient foods to grab for eating in the cab aren’t always the healthiest. Travel-ready goods tend to be high in calories but low in important vitamins and minerals. Whenever possible, try and grab fruits and vegetables to snack on instead, and keep consumption of crunchy snacks and candy bars to a minimum. Keeping to a proper diet is a common top recommendation by organizations. Adding a multivitamin to your routine can help you balance your nutrient intake during longer hauls.
3. Don’t Neglect Sleep
Lack of sleep wreaks havoc on your immune system and is linked to all sorts of long-term health issues like diabetes, to say nothing of how it makes you feel during those long days on the road. Even if you sleep in your cab, make sure your environment is as dark and quiet as you can; if noise is unavoidable, a white noise machine can work nearly as well as silence.
4. Find Time to Exercise
The human body isn’t meant to be sitting for as long as freight drivers are required to sit, so it’s important to find ways to counteract it whenever possible. Taking ten minutes at a stop to go on a quick run will go a long way toward maintaining your cardiovascular health and avoiding circulation and inflammation problems that come with frequently extended driving.
5. Wash Your Hands
Getting sick while 1,000 miles from home isn’t something anyone wants to deal with. It might sound a bit simplistic to stress, but washing your hands really is the best way to avoid all sorts of common illnesses that can sideline you for days or weeks. Gas stations, restaurants, public restrooms, and conveniences stores all have huge numbers of hands touching everything in them every day, and you don’t want whatever they’ve got to be what you have in two days.
6. Keep a First Aid Kit
You’re operating with precious few resources when hauling freight long distances, and a first aid kit is one of those things that’s easy to forget but precious when you need one. Keep it stocked with basic medications like aspirin, antihistamines, and painkillers for minor issues, but don’t neglect items like bandages, gauze, and a tourniquet just in case. They take up very little room and you’ll be glad to have them if something goes wrong.
7. Manage Stress
No one knows how stressful a trucker’s job is like the trucker themselves, but letting stress accrue does nothing but cause health problems and make everything that much harder to deal with. Find a routine or a hobby you can engage with on a regular basis that calms you down and lets you refocus. Properly maintaining stress is key to maintaining health over long periods.
8. Take Regular Breaks
Every 2 hours or so, find a place to pull over and walk around a bit to stretch your muscles, grab a snack, use the restroom, or engage in some quick exercise. A little bit of time resting your eyes and body from the constant focus required for driving will reduce strain and let you feel better, longer.
