There’s a beautiful world out there to take in!
As we travel to many different areas around the country it begs the question: Do we give ourselves enough opportunities to enjoy what certain places have to offer?
To most of us it becomes monotonous after a while—we find ourselves in a comfort zone as we end our day at the same truck stops or rest areas we have seen many times over the years. After a while we can often find ourselves at a point where we start to lose interest in our jobs.
In all reality there is a lot to see out there once we think beyond the boundaries of whatever location we have our trucks legally parked at. After being out here on the road full time for almost 25 years I have been able to use different resources that are readily available and strike a great balance between being very productive and still enjoying the local attractions whenever I can. In other words I work hard—but to an extent I treat this job like a road trip vacation.
After so many years out here I find myself enjoying a chance to interact with people who are from the area where I am spending the night. It gives me a chance to learn more about those places as well as allowing them to gain some insight about—and hopefully a favorable impression of—truck drivers as the down-to-earth, hard working professionals most of us are.
If you have family members coming out on the road with you this summer you can make it an experience for them that creates many priceless memories for all of you. As a trainer I show my students many examples of how they can enjoy their time out here once they are on their own.
How can I make time for that?
To me it has to do with making it a priority. I often start and end my work days early so I have more parking options available. That also gives me a few more hours of daylight to get away from the truck stop and go explore the area if it’s safe to do so.
How can I find some cool places?
Most smartphones have the Google Maps app in them that makes it easy to look for places of interest. If you want to go enjoy a good dinner at a top rated restaurant and sample the night life it’s easy enough to use that app to do your research and figure out where you want to go and what you enjoy doing in your downtime.
Many places have billboards along the roads leading in to the city where they’re located.
How can I get around?
Depending on where I’m at I may walk, ride my bike that I carry with me, or utilize the Uber or Lyft ride share services to get where I want to go and back. Of course, it’s up to us to be aware of any dangerous places and avoid them.
In a future blog post I will explain how I safely carry a bike with me in the truck.