How To Avoid Trucker Burnout

Truck driver, like a lot of other careers, is a very time demanding, intense job. If you have been a trucker for a long time, chances are you know what trucking burnout feels like. Trucking burnout can lead to unsafe situations for not only the truck drivers themselves, but for others on the road as well. 

After being a truck driver for a while, you start to get a real feel of the trucker lifestyle. To help truckers deal with the feeling of trucking burnout, we have provided some tips and ways to avoid this!

What are the signs of burnout?

There are many signs of burnout in every industry, but each trucker may experience this feeling differently. Below are some of the most common signs of trucking burnout. 

Lack of motivation / enthusiasm

One of the first signs of trucking burnout is losing the motivation and enthusiasm of driving. A lack of motivation is likely to cause anyone to start disliking their job. 

Doing the bare minimum

Another sign of trucker burnout is when they find themselves doing as little driving as possible. This includes making frequent stops and finding excuses to waste time and take breaks. 

Poor eating habits

Burnt-out truckers also have the tendency to start eating more poorly than they used to. Sometimes a lack of motivation to work can carry over to a lack of motivation for their own health and wellbeing. 

How to deal with burnout

To avoid potential danger to truck drivers and others on the road, burnout should be resolved right away. Following these guidelines will help you work through and prevent future burnouts. 

Create a regular schedule

A way to break the monotony of trucking is by creating and following a regular schedule. This not only will help keep you engaged while you’re driving but will also promote more regular and healthy sleep at night as well. 

Take breaks

Continuously driving for long periods of time is very exhausting for anyone, but truck drivers especially. Taking breaks when you are tired and unstable will help prevent burnout from occurring, as well as keep you more focused while driving!

Take vacations

As much as you like to save up your vacation days, it’s important that truck drivers especially are using their vacation time wisely. Don’t skip taking a vacation because you feel like you can’t afford to take time off. In reality, taking vacation will help prevent trucking burnout significantly.

Along those lines, there will be days in which you feel like you just need to rest. If you ever find yourself needing a break after a busy week or couple of days, don’t be afraid to take a day or two off. This allows you to take a break and recharge your mind. 

Use electronic logs

Lastly, the use of electronic logging devices has not been a fan favorite in the trucking industry. But believe it or not, electronic logs help prevent drivers from over-working, and play a crucial role in preventing trucking burnout. 

After a while, being on the road will start to feel more like a trucker lifestyle rather than a job. However, becoming more aware of the sign of burnout, and how to prevent burnout from occurring, will help you better enjoy this trucker lifestyle. 

At TransWood, the wellbeing of our drivers is one of our top priorities. That is why we offer our drivers many helpful resources. If you are interested in taking your trucking career to the next level, consider applying at TransWood today!