Posts by Day: Friday, June 13, 2008

Many truck drivers take their pets with them on the road, especially those who are on the road for weeks at a time. Being on the road for long periods of time can be very lonely and also very stressful. There are often long wait times during loading and unloading, and at times there are layovers that can also keep them away from home even longer. The hassle of paperwork with shipping clerks and patrol officers can make a truck driver feel stir-crazy.

Humans have a built-in desire to care for another living creature. Most truckers are deprived of this human need. Having a pet along can actually help relieve stress for the driver. Having the companionship of a pet can even keep blood pressure and heart rate at normal pace. This is actually the reason why many companies don’t mind letting their employees take there pets along. Once you have chosen a pet to take with you on the road, there are certain things to consider.

First of all, pets can’t tell us when they are thirsty or when they need to make a stop. For truckers, having a litter box in the truck is necessary, particularly if you have a cat. You also need to have plenty of your pet’s regular food with you. You don’t want to be disrupting their diet by switching out what they normally eat. Don’t forget about having water accessible. You will also need to make some stops to let your pet out and get some exercise; this is also a good time for you to get some exercise, too.

Exercise is very important for anyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and this is especially important for people with jobs that require long hours of sitting with little physical activity, such as truckers.   Truckers often have days that involve little else besides driving, eating, and sleeping, so it is very easy to not get much physical activity.  It is important that truckers make an extra effort to squeeze some physical activity into their daily lives.

Recent studies have shown that as many as seventy-three percent of all truckers are overweight, with fifty percent considered obese.  This has a lot to do with poor diet and lack of physical activity.  There are many ways to squeeze some physical activity into daily routines.  A trucker could possible carry a bike with them in their cab and take bikes rides when time permits.  Golfing is also another activity that can be done. There are golf courses almost anywhere around the country, so a trucker can try to hit the local golf course, which are usually readily available.  Walking is probably the easiest and most convenient way to get in some physical activity.  It can be done just about anywhere and anytime, and is a great way to keep in shape.

Physical activity is one of the best things that one can do for their body.  Truckers often have a hard time finding extra time to get in physical activity, but sometimes it takes some sacrifice and creativity to find time.  It is definitely worth the sacrifice.