Down time on the road

Senior truck driver checking his mobile phone. sitting behind his truck.
Senior truck driver checking his mobile phone. sitting behind his truck.

We all hate it, but it’s a part of the job…. Down time on the road.  Whether it’s caused by nature, needing an hours reset, or some other issue, down time is never fun. When it happens, we have 2 options:  Sit around and be bored, or take action and accomplish some non driving chores that tend to pile up. Glass always needs to be cleaned, especially if you’re a smoker. In the course of our days, we tend to track in mud, gravel, sand and the like, so carry a small whisk and dust pan and give the floors a sweep. Dust off the dash board, and armour-all it to protect it from sun damage. Just don’t armour-all the pedals, floor and steering wheel. 

Take the time to do any laundry you have accumulated, and if need be, go shopping to refill your refrigerator and cupboards. If you’re at a company facility, perhaps you can get the truck in for a wash,’or to get some minor issues looked at. 

If you know you’re going to be down for a while, maybe take in a sporting event if there’s one available.  

In short, having down time in the road, while never a good thing as we’re paid by the mile doesn’t have to be a long boring stretch. There’s always something that needs doing, so make the most of the time.