Truck Driving Tips for Staying Healthy on the Road

Truck driving is a career that offers numerous benefits and freedoms but with any sedentary job, it’s important to follow best practices in order to stay healthy. For all of our truck drivers, we want to make sure that they take care of themselves while on the road. If you spend extended hours driving, keep reading for some tips that will help you to feel more energized and comfortable while on the road.

Drink water

Did you know that many health issues arise from dehydration? While you’re on the road it’s easy to forget about drinking enough water. It’s recommended to aim to consume half your body weight in fluid ounces of water each day. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, aim to drink 100 fluid ounces or about 12.5 cups of water per day. Try keeping a large reusable water bottle with you so you can sip throughout the day instead of only buying a plastic water bottle when you’re really thirsty.

Exercise your body and mind

While you’re on the road for hours at a time, it may be a challenge to make time for exercising both your body and your mind. If you can, try taking just 15-30 minutes of your day to get your body moving. Some options to get you started include walking, lifting small portable weights, or using resistance bands. Don’t forget to also exercise your mind by listening to audiobooks, podcasts or foreign language audio courses. These increase your mental stimulation to keep your brain always at work.

Invest in your sleep and comfort

When you drive all day, it’s important to be comfortable during your time off and during your sleep. If you’re an over-the-road driver who sleeps in your cab, make sure to invest in a good mattress and pillow. Purchasing a high-quality mattress and pillow helps to ensure that you get a good night’s rest and keeps your body feeling it’s best. You’ll avoid back and neck aches and you’ll feel more comfortable while taking longer trips.

Find time to de-stress

Just like with any career, it’s important to find effective ways to de-stress and decompress during your free time. Some great options for de-stressing include reading a book, doing crossword puzzles, or meditating. By finding ways to de-stress that work for you, you’ll have a clear mind and feel more energized when you’re driving. Don’t forget to take breaks when needed to ensure that you’re always feeling your best.

Avoid overusing stimulants

The use of stimulants like energy drinks and coffee is commonplace in the trucking industry. However, drinking these should not take the place of getting sleep. Bypassing sleeping by drinking energy drinks or coffee disrupts your sleep cycle and can lead to dangerous consequences, such as not being alert while driving.  While stimulants can be used to wake you up in the morning, you should not rely on them as your main source of energy but should always get enough sleep.

The Spinning Wheels Express team values our employees’ health and wants to make sure they are doing all they can to take care of themselves while on the road. If you’re interested in learning more about our team and the benefits that we offer for our drivers, visit our join our team page.