ADS Logistics Supply Chain Management Blog

Top 5 Ways Truckers Pass the Time

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

The lifestyle of a trucker can be very busy, but there can also be a lot of downtime when out on the road. Down time could come at a dock waiting for a shipment to be unloaded or at a stop while on the way to the next destination. It could also come between hauls, which there has been more of given the country’s fluctuating economic health. Wherever there is down time on the road, there are productive ways to pass it. Here are five ways, some practical, some a bit more unconventional, that commercial truckers can pass the time:

• Skydiving – Yes, that’s right. One way to kill time that is not so commonly thought of because it cannot be done every day, but it is a hobby some truckers have picked up recently is skydiving. It’s great for thrill seekers and for people just trying to get away for a while, and truckers love it particularly because the only speed limit in sky diving is terminal velocity (about 122 mph)!
• Quilting – Not daring enough to descend from a plane 10,000+ in the air? The fastest growing way truckers pass time is the popular hobby of stitching, sewing, and quilting. It is a great way to get your mind off the job while doing something constructive. It is also something that a trucker can take pride in. Check out this great article on quilting truckers that appeared in The Wall Street Journal last year.
• Turn on the Radio - A more practical way drivers pass time on a daily basis is listening to the radio. Whether it be talk radio or the latest music, there is always something on to keep you company. This is a main way truckers pass the time while driving and not necessarily a way they pass time stopped at a truck stop.
• Open up a Book – Stuck at a stop?  Reading is a great pastime and a very productive way to spend extra hours. Reading keeps the brain and the imagination sharp, as not only do you learn about what you are reading but it keeps the brain busy, making it easier to commit facts to memory. Another advantage to reading is you can take it on the road. Obviously trying to read a book while driving is asking for an accident, but with books on tape it is entirely possible to “read” a book while driving.
• Take a Nap -  Probably the most common way to pass the time is by catching a nap.  It is important to get the appropriate amount of sleep each day especially when you log a lot of hours behind the wheel of a big rig. But if you have an hour to kill it can’t hurt to duck into your sleeper cabin to grab a bit more shut eye. The average for an adult is 7-8 hours, but this doesn’t apply to everyone. Getting a nap in while you have free time is a very beneficial way to pass time - to you and to other drivers.