Finding Balance on the Road
As the days shorten, winter weather arrives and holiday travel is in full swing, we want to honor the hard-working drivers navigating our highways 365 days a year.
After years behind the wheel and thousands of miles and countless nights away from home, it's easy to feel stuck following the same boring routines: eat here, stop there, rest in the back of your cab, head back down the road. But this huge country has a lot to offer the men and women travelling her highways, hauling freight everyone depends on. We all know about the World's Largest Truckstop off I-80 in Walcott, Iowa, with their Trucking Museum, annual Jamboree, movie theater and more. But, what if your travels don't pass through Iowa, or you're looking for new diversions while traveling the highways? What can you do on the road to pass the time?
To help you through those moments when you feel like you just need a break, this month's newsletter offers new ideas for making the most of life on the road.
Try a New Hobby
Sometimes, you just can't face watching more television, browsing the web, listening to the same tunes or reading another book.
Many drivers feel the same way, and a recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted a surprising new hobby among professional truckers: sewing and knitting. A number of drivers are taking advantage of their down time by making quilts, sweaters and other items. One of the men featured in the article said his employer, Don Hummer Trucking Corp, has even started a sewing club.
While stitching isn't for everyone, there are many other hobbies to pick up that are compact enough to fit in a cab -- so why not explore new ways to spend time while on the road?
Find Delicious Food
Sick of the same fast food burgers and fries? Feel like you never want to see another truck-stop hot dog or tired-looking buffet?
Whether you long for home cooking or exotic cuisines, Roadfood.com offers a database of interesting, delicious options near highways nationwide. Search by state, city or the type of food you crave, and you'll receive a list of restaurant options that includes:
- Reviews from other diners and the website's staff
- "Must Eat" dishes with pricing examples
- A map of the location and directions
- Hours, policies and phone numbers
Basic usage is free, but if you really want to take advantage of the site, a yearly membership is $19.95 and offers GPS-enabled searches, downloadable maps and Roadfood Mobile to find immediate results from your mobile phone. No matter how you use this site, you'll benefit from a new way to conveniently find good food when you're hungry -- and away from home.
Uncover Roadside Attractions
From waiting for a load to sitting through a forced stop for Hours of Service, killing time while on the road can get monotonous, to say the least. But, long-haul drivers have a unique opportunity to see some of the weird, charming, scary and otherwise unusual sights found alongside America's highways. To help travelers locate roadside attractions, the website RoadsideAmerican.com combines more than 25 years of research to offer a searchable database of highway attractions, like:
- The Large Confederate Pyramid in Richmond, Va. -- a 50-ft. tall tombstone for 18,000 Confederate Graves.
- Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas -- where 10 cars half-submerged in dirt have been repeatedly covered in spray paint for more than 35 years.
- Sight of the First U.S. Gold Rush in Dahlonega, Ga. -- a gold mine with an underground tour.
- And thousands more quirky offerings off highways nationwide.
For a few dollars, you can even download an iPhone app to find attractions when you're away from a computer -- perhaps while dining at a new spot you found using Roadfood.com?
Between long hours, bad weather, traffic and ever-changing regulations, it's easy to get frustrated or stuck in a rut as a long-haul driver. But when you stop to think about it, few jobs provide more freedom, personal responsibility and opportunities for adventure than sitting behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. At the end of the day, life on the road can be challenging, but it can be fun, too. Why not stray from the old routines and find new excitement along the way?