If you drive a truck over the road (OTR) for a living, chances are you struggle with work-life balance.
If you have a family, they struggle with it, too.
Trucking is a profession where making a living often conflicts with having a life.
Time at home is an important part of any job, but for the OTR trucker it often has a different meaning than for a worker who gets to come home every night.
When home time is restricted to a weekend, or part of a weekend, or every other weekend, everything that others accomplish during a whole week must be done in a much smaller window. Time is spent mowing the grass, fixing the car, helping with projects around the house. Visits to doctors, dentists and other professionals must be squeezed in. Time for relationships with spouses, kids and friends is still hard to come by.
Relationships aren’t the only thing that suffer. Your health is endangered by a continual focus on work. Vacations are more than a nice feature, they’re important for your physical and mental health.
Some drivers are able to take advantage of their trucking careers to spend their “home time” at locations other people might choose for vacation destinations. That load to a city near the coast? Instead of loading up a return load right away, they might spend their off hours at the beach. The best part is they are paid for the travel!
Drivers that team together, especially couples, can take advantage of the attractions near the delivery point of their next load. Solo drivers, however, can take advantage, too. The spouse or family at home can arrange to meet at a location near an attraction, allowing more time for togetherness when the driver gets there.
Online mapping services such as Google, Bing and Apple can show whatever attractions are in the area, and people who live nearby can often offer great advice.
State and national parks, federal landmarks and more are common destinations, and every city has historic features. Sporting events like minor-league baseball games are played in hundreds of locations. Local groups offer theater productions, concerts or festivals of every kind. There’s something to do nearby, no matter where your trip takes you.
Most states and many smaller locations have links to tourist information on their websites. Local chambers of commerce are great places to find information either online or in person. Brochures featuring all sorts of attractions are typically available at rest areas, especially those located near a state border.
You’ll need a place to stay, and information about hotels, bed-and-breakfast options or even renting vacation homes is widely available on the Internet. Discount hotel sites offer deals across the country, and most hotel chains have points programs or other promotions that sweeten the deal.
If you’re relaxing alone or your partner is joining you, using your tractor to “camp” in may be an option. Both public and private campgrounds often have bathrooms and shower facilities, along with grills and picnic tables, walking trails and other amenities.
If you prefer to park your truck and rent a car or van for sightseeing, car rental companies frequently have specials to increase business and most have rewards programs of some sort you can take advantage of to keep costs down. Most have a selection of vehicles, so you can save gas with something economical or spend a weekend driving that luxury model you might never buy.
If you work for a carrier and can leave your truck at a company location, a “loaner” car may be available. The same is true if you leave your truck at a dealership for service, a car may be available. These days, Uber and Lyft can be used, and most metro areas have bus or even train service you can use to get around.
Whether you’re booking a place to stay, a vehicle to get there or even a reservation at a restaurant, be sure to ask about discounts that you may qualify for. If you’re over 50, you may qualify for a “senior” discount. The qualification age differs by business, but it never hurts to ask. If you’re a member of AAA, AARP, NRA or another group, discounts may be available.
If you’re a U.S. military veteran or a member of a Gold Star Family, you’re entitled to a free, lifetime pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks, wildlife refuges and forests. If you have any sort of identification card that shows you’re a veteran, including your CDL if your state uses an identifier, just show it at the entrance.
If you don’t have a Veteran ID card, you can obtain a digital version at va.gov/records/get-veteran-id-cards/vic/. The card can be used at any location that offers discounts to veterans.
For some people, time off isn’t a “vacation” unless they can put together a full week or longer. However, even a day or two of relaxation can be beneficial. Drivers can also benefit from choosing the days of the week they will be off. Attractions that are crowded on the weekend are often less so during the week and, in some cases, they are cheaper, too.
The last of Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is “Sharpen the Saw.” In his program, Covey explains that taking care of your mental and physical health provides revitalization so you become better at your job and everything else in your life. Recharge and renewal are important parts of our lives.
Whatever your idea of relaxation, from camping in a secluded forest to checking out the big-city sites, there’s plenty to do somewhere close to your next delivery point.
Take advantage of the opportunities that trucking provides and see the country in ways that workers in other occupations can’t.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
