Exhaustion is a truck driver killer. Luckily this isn’t necessarily literal, but it’s still serious. Getting burned-out is a common issue for long-term truck drivers, but it’s only really a problem in the absence of proper self-care. For prospective Nashville, TN truck drivers and long-term professionals alike, here are some things Bay and Bay Transportation recommends you do to fight burnout before it catches up to you.
There’s more to truck driver exhaustion than needing an extra nap in the afternoon. Real burnout is a deep-seated feeling of listlessness that you can’t quite combat. It’s often a combination of physical tiredness and mental strain that hits all at once. Truck drivers may find themselves lingering at stops and avoiding getting back on the road because truck driving has lost its charm as a lifestyle, feels monotonous, or even too varied. The point is it strikes differently in different types of truck drivers, but the effect is the same. Burnout is around the corner.
Truck driving is all about proper scheduling. You need to schedule your trips, sleep, breaks, and eating habits in a way that won’t be a detriment to your effectiveness as a truck driver or your health as a human being. Often, truck driver burnout hits when one of these is out of balance. You may not be getting enough sleep, you might be overclocking your hours, or maybe you feel like you haven’t had a good meal in a while and it’s all catching up.
This type of burnout isn’t limited to truck driving. Pretty much every type of job has its own form of burnout. The solution is the same across the board; make your health your number one priority. If you’ve been overclocking, knock it off and get the sleep you require. If you’ve been eating on the go, pack some balanced, varied lunches to get things moving again. If you have vacation time coming up, use it. Truck driving burnout may be common, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. With proper scheduling and a little self-awareness, you can prevent it before it even really begins.
No matter how you go about it, the first step to avoiding burnout is liking where you work. If you’re a prospective truck driver in the Nashville, TN area and interested in professional truck driving, or if you’re a veteran driver who is looking to get back into the lifestyle, contact Bay and Bay Transportation at (888) 801-3026 or visit our website here for additional information.