Prepare Now for Cold and Flu Season
Healthy Living Habits
As summer turns into fall, allergies and hot days and cool nights, along with the thought of winter coming, make most think about their health. For most truckers, staying healthy on the road isn’t easy. Long hours with little rest, sleeping in positions that give you aches and pains, and the stress of loading and unloading cargo are just a few factors that make great health a difficult thing for truckers to attain. Though some think trying to eat right, stay healthy, and avoid habits like drinking or smoking just aren’t worth the less than pleasurable lifestyle they incur, most—especially those working tough jobs—are beginning to realize that staying healthy is key to both success and happiness. To stay healthy on the road, doing research and following doctors’ advice is key, but here are a few steps to get you started.
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Bring plenty of healthy snacks from home or frequent truck stops near grocery stores/fresh food markets
According to Wayne Parker, a fatherhood columnist for About.com, relying on travel-type snacks is never good for your health. Greasy truck stop cuisine and snack machine fare is a quick way to feeling less than at your best. Coolers packed with fresh fruit and veggies as well as lunchmeat sandwiches make for better eating and better health while you’re on the go.
2. Avoid drastic changes in schedule
Even if you’re staying in the same time zone, it’s still possible to feel jet lag. Any time you drastically change your schedule, for instance by getting up much earlier or staying up much later than you are used to, you are subject to feeling the effects on your health, according to Parker.
3. Stay Active
Sitting in the driver’s seat all day can take a toll on the muscles in your legs and back. And though it’s tempting to spend breaks lounging in your cab watching television, cruising the net, or even taking a nap, working out or even taking a walk can improve your overall health and the way you feel. Medical science has confirmed the importance of staying active, and even though you have a sedentary job, making time to move is a great way to stay healthy on the road.
4. Take Preventative Medication
In addition to eating healthy and staying active, there are several ways to prevent sickness on the road. Taking vitamins, like vitamin C to ward off colds, is one way to make sure you are in your best shape whenever you’re on the road. Other medications, like Airborne, are designed to build up immune systems, making you less susceptible to air born infections. As a truck driver, the amount and variety of your travel exposes you to more germs than most. But preventing succumbing to those illnesses can be as easy as popping a pill.
5. Get plenty of sleep
It might he hard, but not only is sleep important to your safety on the road, it’s also important to your health. Sleep depravation weakens the immune system, and can leave you feeling awful, even if you’re the picture of health. If you find sleep hard to achieve, Linda Dessau’s article “10 ways to get a good night’s sleep” points out that starting to calm down an hour before bed, relaxing your muscles, and using imagery to stop a racing mind are some great ways to find rest without counting those sleep.
Though your health might just seem like another thing to worry about while you’re on the long haul, it’s one of the most important factors to consider in your daily routine. Unhealthy drivers feel miserable while they work, and at times, are unable to work at all. For happiness and career success, paying attention to your health is of the utmost importance.
Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkListAmerica’s Traveling Truck Show
National Truck Shows
With truckers on the road most of the summer, going to a national truck show might seem just as impossible to most truckers as going to the county fair. But with America’s Traveling Truck Show visiting seven states in six months, the odds that truckers will be able to swing by a location are much more favorable. In fact, the show’s website, www.travelingtruckshow.com, stated that many truckers were grateful for the traveling aspect of the show last year, as it allowed many to attend who would not have been able to because of work and time. With gas and diesel prices soaring, even truckers with a week off would probably not to be able to attend the show if it were stationary.
For truckers that are interested in buying a new model to those who just want to have a good time, the show, which will be stopping at various truck stops, will provide an excellent opportunity for truckers to take a break from the road and look at some new, impressive trucks.
This May, the truck show began its tour with stops in Missouri, an event that featured a Trucker’s appreciation event, free ice cream, and a pig roast. This month, the show has visited Illinois and Pennsylvania, and will be heading toward Virginia, Wisconsin, and Iowa in the next few months. But other than the food, music, and other entertainment, truckers interested in what’s new in the industry will want to check out the displays.
According to the show’s web site, the 2007 show made its way to twenty-seven centers bringing a variety of truck dealers representing almost every brand. These vendors showed the new models to eager truckers who were excited to take a peek, while other vendors displayed products and services that catered directly to truckers. This year, an extensive list of companies includes potential trucking employers, truck manufacturers like Volvo, trucking accessory vendors selling lubricants and tires, and truck servicing companies. An entire list of companies can be found by visiting the show’s web site.
But checking out trucks, trucking accessories, and trucking services isn’t the only motivator for heading out to one of the shows. Last year, one grand prize winner, Ronald Steele, was given an enormous door prize consisting of a 2007 Harley-Davidson and several other valuables, according to etrucker.com. This year, the show’s sponsors will be giving away a trucker’s dream package, including VIP tickets to any NASCAR event. In order to win, truckers only have to attend a show, have a CDL, and register. In addition to the grand prize, truckers can also win other prizes from accessory vendors.
With several stops across seven states this summer, America’s Traveling Truck Show is making it easier for truckers to come have a good time and check out the newest products and services in the agency at the same time. Even truckers who aren’t interested in buying a new model can enjoy the show’s food, entertainment, and giveaways. A complete schedule of events, locations, and vendors can be found by visiting the show’s web site.
Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkListHow to Find the Hottest Truck Stops
2008 National Truck Stop Directory
Like a greatly anticipated movie release, it’s here and ready for truckers everywhere to use! The 2008 National Truck Stop Directory is fully updated for 2008 and has all the information about the hottest and not-so-hot truck stops across the nation. The compendium includes over 6500 truck stops in both the United States and Canada, and has a helpful guide that allows truckers to view what amenities are available at what stops.
In this modern technological age, truckers can find information about local attractions and services like truck stops with relative ease. Powering on the Internet and running a Yahoo maps search is one way to quickly discover what truck stops are in the area. And if you’d rather not take the time to fire up your computer or find an Internet connection, certain directory assistants services can give you truck stop information by phone. But searching the Internet takes time and calling directory assistance almost always costs money. Though most are quick to reach for their tech tools and slow to look for a book, the fastest way to find information about local truck stops is the directory.
In addition to just the name and phone number of the stop, however, truckers using this guide will get far more than they could generally find on the Internet, including the stop’s restaurants when whether or not it has a motel, showers, or ATMs. Truck services are also included in the book, so truckers can quickly find stops that have truck washes and weigh stations. Never again will truckers be slowed down by stopping at a location under the assumption it has a weigh station, only to get back on the high way and look for another stop because that weigh station was taken out of service years ago. Brand new for 2008, this directory keeps up on truck stop changes throughout the years.
Also, the guide allows truckers to find the premium stops that offer top of the line services like Internet hot spots and repair shops. Of course, the guide doesn’t focus simply on amenities without including the necessities. For each truck stop, the guide includes what types of fuel and check cards are accepted and whether or not the stops issue permits or perform load services.
For less than $15, this truckers’ bible is a lifesaver for anyone on the road, whether they be professional truckers or simply families that like to tour the country in their RVs. With this directory, truckers will save precious time searching for a truck stop that will fill their needs. Additionally, it will save truckers the hassle of choosing the wrong truck stop and having to set out on a new search once again.
Though 21st century truckers might be more comfortable with a keypad than a directory, this book is the perfect one to have on hand.
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