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Professional truck drivers taking time off is of the utmost importance.
Truckers need vacations, too. Just as much as everyone else. In fact, maybe more.
Virtually everyone experiences stress with their job.
However, professional CDL drivers have an unusual amount of stress in their work on a daily basis.
They work very long days. There are many stresses they must endure, as it is part of their driving job.
There’s stress from:
- heavy traffic volume
- adhering to the H.O.S.
- the D.O.T.
- the demands of shippers and receivers
- a multitude of rules and regs to follow
- dispatchers demands
- driving in bad weather and heavy traffic
- general job stress
Most people solve their high stress problems by taking regular vacations.
But taking regular vacations or time off is not a common habit in the truck driver population, even though they encounter more on the job stress than the average worker.
The Importance of Time Off for Professional Drivers
I cannot emphasize enough, the importance of taking some time off work, in order to get away from the stresses of the job.
A 34 hour reset simply doesn’t qualify as a break from work. Often time on the reset is spent with the truck. That is NOT a break from the job.
Studies show that truck drivers need to be away from the truck and the job for at least 5 days, to start unwinding and relaxing.
It’s important to take time off to spend with family or friends, and take some time for yourself.
A Mistake I Made in My Truck Driving Career
It’s a serious mistake I made in my trucking career. I worked far too much and didn’t spend enough time at home with my family.
Instead of making more money for the extra work I did, it really just added up to a lot more stress for me and my family.
To this day, my kids still resent the time I was away on the road. I missed so much of the important stuff. This is time that I can’t get back, no matter what. Don’t make this mistake.
With the electronic logs and the restricted hours of service, it isn’t possible to work longer hours to increase your revenue.
Driver wages with some companies can be somewhat lame. So be sure any extra work you do, pays well.
You may think you can’t afford a vacation.
However, the truth of the matter is, you can’t afford ‘not to take a vacation’.
Truckers Need Vacations – Start Saving For Your Next Vacation
Truckers do need vacations, in spite of the fact that trucking companies and dispatchers don’t think so.
If you are worried that financially, you can’t afford that extra down time, plan ahead for it.
Save a little money from each pay to set aside for this purpose.
It’s an easy way to budget for funds for some time off. An expensive holiday isn’t the only way to relax and enjoy life.
Plan a hiking adventure, fishing trip or camping close to home. No need to travel far to have a decent break from trucking.
As a professional driver, it’s your responsibility to arrange for sufficient time off between runs or a block of time off after being out on the road for long periods of time.
You are responsible to be relaxed and refreshed, when behind the wheel.
Think of a vacation as an investment in your mental health.
The job and the truck will ALWAYS be there when you return.
F.A.Q.
You should not be dismissed from your truck driving job for taking time off. It’s important when you can, to plan in advance for time off and check in with your supervisor, to adhere to company policies. However, health and other unexpected issues happen which require you to be away from your job. Also when you are exhausted, it’s vital to take some time off away from the job to get some much needed rest.
If you don’t take the time you need to rest up and refresh, you could make a serious error when behind the wheel due to exhaustion. Truly, you cannot afford NOT to take time to have a break. It’s important for physical health as well as mental health.
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