A truck driver’s life sounds like a country song: open roads, working hard, deadlines to meet, lone soul getting it done. The reality is that while trucking is a great career, it often comes with long days away from home.

Even the most seasoned truck driver will feel pangs of homesickness from time to time. How do you cope with missing home when your job is, by definition, away from home?

Homesickness for truck drivers can present itself in many forms, such as being irritable, anxious, tense, or just constantly thinking about home. It has been known that some truck drivers drink alcohol to forget this homesickness and some get caught and prosecuted with a DUI because of it. If you feel you have wrongly been issued with a DUI visit the Cambell Law Firm or someone similar for advice. Whereas these feelings may just be an annoyance to other professionals, they can present a serious risk to a truck driver’s quality of work. Any type of distraction can impact the overall experience very easily and significantly in a job that requires vigilance, long hours, and technical precision. Consequently, attending to your wandering mind is in your best interest as well as those around you. Don’t become a distracted driver!

Trucking should be a career you enjoy, so hopefully our 10 tips will help you deal with homesickness on the road.

10 Tips for Truck Drivers who are Homesick

1. Take your feelings seriously

Downplaying your homesickness is just as ineffective as ignoring it all together. Without proper attention, these feelings could linger around for days instead of hours. It may feel silly to acknowledge that you’re homesick when you’re trying to focus on work, but remember that many truckers have to cope with homesickness.

Humans are naturally drawn to routine and breaking from that can be stressful. Truck driving, by nature, is breaking from routine and overcoming that is impressive, whether you’re a newbie or a veteran.

2. Skype and call daily

Call your family or friends daily and ask them how their day is going. When possible, hit the free Wi-Fi spots on the road, so you’re not only talking but also seeing each other. Try to make these daily calls a family thing, for instance by reading stories to your children over Skype. If you each have the same books, you can even read together. Nothing beats homesickness for truck drivers than a little bit of quality time with your family.

3. Send pictures to family and friends

If you or your family can’t schedule a time to call, keep in touch by sending each other pictures throughout the day. It will make you feel like you’re right there even when you’re miles apart.

4. Send postcards to your kids from different states

Children hardly ever get mail with their name on it. Fighting homesickness becomes easier by imagining their faces light up when they get a postcard from their mom or dad from a totally different state! Moreover, this is a great learning tool to teach your children all the states and capitals.

5. Carry pictures of your family in the truck

Not only can you show off to other truck drivers with photos of your beautiful family, but looking at these pictures from time to time while driving will also put you in a better mood. It’s a good reminder of who you’re doing this work for and that every mile driven is one closer to them.

6. Make your cab feel like home

Because you’re spending a lot of time in the cab of your truck, try to make it as cozy as possible. A nice mattress and bedding already goes a long way. Fight homesickness by bringing your favorite pillow or blanket that smells like home or your spouse. Additionally, these items will give you a good night’s sleep, which will make you feel a lot better the next day.

You can also make your cab more fun by hanging up some curtains and placing a few posters of your favorite movies or sports team. You can also bring a coffee pot or crockpot to brew coffee or cook meals.

7. Be kind to your body

Feeling great physically can help fend off even the worst pangs of homesickness, whereas feeling sluggish or sick can magnify them exponentially. Drink water, eat balanced meals, snack when you’re feeling lightheaded, and sleep as much as possible. Don’t skip meals, but try to avoid the cheeseburger and fries at fast food restaurants.

Furthermore, physical activity releases endorphins, which helps improve your mood and release negative emotions. It may be challenging to find time to work out on the road, so stop at rest areas when possible and stretch your legs by walking for 15 minutes or so. Stay healthy for your wellbeing and to help overcome your homesickness!

8. Get a hobby

Take your mind off missing home by listening to a fun podcast or watching the newest movies and shows on Netflix. You can even channel the secret bookworm hiding inside of you by picking up a book.

9. Bring someone along

Homesickness for truck drivers is made worse by the long hours spent alone. Thankfully, some trucking companies allow for drivers to bring their significant others, close friend or even pet. A little one on one quality time with a person you care about works wonders for your relationship and homesickness.

10. Talk to other truck drivers at stops

You’re all in the same boat, so why not talk to the other truckers at the stops or even reach out over the CB for a quick chat with fellow drivers. A work family can be almost as great as your family waiting at home.

The independence and open road are major rewards that come with the trucking profession. There is good reason for why truckers are so proud of what they do. It may be impossible to never feel homesick, but hopefully these tips can make it a little easier.

While there are many challenges to working in the trucking industry, finances should not be one of them. Thankfully, freight factoring is a straightforward way to boost your cash flow. Let us take a load of your shoulders, so you can focus hauling your loads.

One of the most significant challenges for small trucking companies is keeping up with constant operating expenses. From truck repairs and maintenance to fuel costs, being an owner-operator is no easy task. Business owners have to be organized and take budgeting seriously when planning for their financial future. Overspending can be detrimental to trucking companies because you never know when you may need a large amount of money for a major repair. Below are some ways truckers can reduce operating costs to save money for times of difficulty or simply to maintain a strong cash flow.

4 Ways to Reduce Operating Costs

1. Maintain a tight budget

Before you can cut costs, you must understand where you’re spending the bulk of your money. Every time you deliver a load or dispatch a truck, you should know how much money you made. Along with your budget, create a profit and loss statement every month to be aware of the profit your trucking business is turning.  By creating a budget and PL statement, you will easily be able to track expenses and make decisions on where you can make changes. For example, if you see that your spending a ton of money on an accountant maybe you could look into accounting software to do your businesses bookkeeping in-house.

2. Eliminate intangible costs

Intangible costs are those that would not be found in your profit and loss statement. These psychological and physiological costs include poor attitude, poor heath and poor communication. Poor attitude in the workplace can bring the mood down for everyone, not just the person with the bad attitude. Intangible costs such as these should be stopped immediately. Whether you need to have conversations with employees about staying motivated and communicating effectively or if you have to potentially let go of an employee with a poor attitude, it will be best for the future of your trucking business.

3. Outsource

Focus on your niche and outsource the rest. This will help you stay in control of your business. When trying to do a ton of things at once you’ll become burnt out and lose focus on what you love. For example, if you have a dump truck business stick it to, don’t try to get involved with other types of trucking businesses or if you must, designate someone else to run it.

4. Perform regular maintenance on your trucks

Upkeep on your trucks can get expensive. It’s a good idea to perform regular maintenance rather than wait until something breaks down. Regular maintenance costs a lot less and is proven to be more effective. If you wait until repairs are absolutely needed, your truck could be out of commission for days or even weeks, which would really affect your cash flow.

Following these tips will help truckers to be financially conscious while running their businesses. Maintaining a budget and keeping track of spending will ensure your businesses success. If you need additional help maintaining a strong cash flow for your trucking business, checkout invoice factoring. Invoice factoring gives you instant cash and allows you to factor loads on your own terms. There are no minimums or long-term contracts. Call us today for your free quote!

Dump truck driving can be extremely rewarding, but it’s not a job for everyone. If you’re looking into starting a career as a driver or owner operator, make sure you carefully consider the pros and cons of dump truck driving before making a decision. You can check out this guide here to find out more information about ELD Devices, by looking at the top electronic logging devices which may make your journey safer. There are several things that make dump truck driving a perfect match for some and a less-than-ideal career for others. If you’re considering entering this career, keep reading. We’ve compiled a list of some of the advantages and disadvantages of being a dump truck driver. It’s a great place to start your research!

Advantages of Becoming a Dump Truck Driver

1. Pay Rate

Did we get your attention? Dump truck companies pay drivers on average $15.57 per hour. Certain companies will pay their drivers double the average, hitting about $30 per hour. A dump truck driver’s salary depends on what company they are driving under, if any, their experience and what they are hauling. Drivers are also eligible for company bonuses and incentives due to the high demand of their service. In 2016, the median pay was $41,340. The median salary in the United States was $37,040, suggesting dump truck drivers make an above-average salary.

It’s more difficult to pinpoint the exact salary for being a dump truck owner-operator. Payscale estimates that a dump truck owner-operator can earn anywhere between $40,000 – $197,000. The longer one is a dump truck driver, the more likely one is to make a higher salary. Behind career length, geography is the biggest factor affecting pay. If one owns several trucks, has them working relatively constant jobs and deducts the necessary expenses it takes to run them, the salary range can be easily much higher. However, they are responsible for the care of their trucks. Even if several trucks need maintenance or gas, dump truck factoring can help out by advancing invoices without putting owner/operators into debt.

2. Low Mileage

Unlike other types of truck drivers, a dump truck driver’s routes are mostly local. A lot of jobs that dump truck drivers accept are hauling loads from one place to another within a 20-30 mile radius. Instead of traveling interstate to deliver goods, they’re more likely to travel within a specific county’s boundaries. Not having loads that require multi-day travel allow dump truck drivers to sleep in their own beds and be at home with their families instead of out on the road. That may mean a driver is going to take multiple loads per day every day they work instead of taking one load across the country and back.

3. Opportunity

Opportunity knocks often for dump truck drivers. If you’re a new driver, don’t worry. Companies across the country are searching for potential drivers to train by hauling smaller, heavier loads back and forth to places like construction sites. When you accept the job, you’ll most likely be trained in a classroom and on the job. If you’re willing to learn the job, there are many different companies that will still consider your application.

If you have a few years of experience, there’s even higher demand for drivers like you. Businesses are looking for people with experience that they can trust to haul what they need. Most dump truck jobs require the operator to also inspect certain equipment, clean and maintain the dump truck, or haul waste. If you have experience doing any or all of those things, you’re already ahead of the game.

Disadvantages of Becoming a Dump Truck Driver

1. Repetition

If you get bored when you’re required to be repetitive, this job might not be for you. If a driver accepts a certain job that lasts 3 months, they’re most likely going to be driving the exact same route several times a day for those 90 days. Driving locally is a huge perk, but if you’re more concerned with the familiar sites than you are with sleeping close to home, this job is perfect for you. Drivers can avoid complete repetition by switching up their simple routes if at all possible. If not, dump truck drivers get to speak to those they’re hauling for several times a day. Make some friends in your field! If possible, it also helps to take a few breaks and walk around outside of your truck.

2. Seasonal

Work can be seasonal depending on what state you live in. A dump truck driver in Florida is going to experience different weather-related problems than a driver in Alaksa will. If your area has bad winters, you may be out of a job depending on your level of experience. Dump trucks are expensive pieces of equipment, so driving them in less-than-perfect conditions proves more of a risk than anything.

But, if you are a seasoned driver, or want to be eventually, you may be in luck. A dump truck chassis is the base of certain winter service vehicles, so knowing how to operate one in the winter means you have to use an entirely new skill set. a dump truck chassis is the base of many winter service vehicles, so the ability to operate the truck through all the variables of the job is a valued ability indeed. Since there is a lot of load shifting and the truck is generally pretty heavy, it takes skill to do the precise maneuvers necessary in snow removal.

3. Loneliness

While being lonely is a much bigger problem for long-haul truckers, dump truck driving can still be a relatively isolated job. Working long hours and constantly being inside your truck can be difficult to say the least. To make it a bit easier on yourself, listen to an audiobook or podcast. If music is more your thing, tune into the radio or download your favorite streaming music app to keep you entertained for hours. You can always call a family member or friend if you want to as well. A familiar voice can cure the blues in minutes flat. Regardless of what you do to fight the lonely bug, make sure you’re not driving distracted.

Truck driving is a tough job and a huge commitment.

But — like any other job — it has its advantages and disadvantages.

If you decide the pros outweigh the cons, then welcome to the world of dump trucking!

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Purchasing a used truck can be a much trickier process than simply buying a new one; because a pre-owned big rig already has a history on the road, it is much more important to know the value and specifics of what you are buying before your money changes hands. With this in mind, a wise buyer can get a great deal on a used tractor-trailer so long as they follow the proper procedures for making their decision. Here is a guide to buying a pre-owned truck that is freight hauler approved!

The 5 Steps to Follow when Buying a Pre-Owned Truck

1. Decide what you need

Just like a house in the suburbs has comparative advantages and disadvantages to a condo in the city, different sizes and builds of trucks can serve entirely different purposes. Regardless of the value, size, or nature of what you intend to be carrying, buying the wrong truck can not only cost you money but also prove completely useless to your business. You might want to browse truck auctions to see what sort of trucks are available in your price range. If you already own a truck and are clear on what you need, further research may not be necessary. On the other hand, owner-operators who are just starting a freight business or trucking companies looking to add another type of truck to their fleet should spend however much time it takes for them to be confident that they know what they must buy.

2. Do your research

Buying a used semi-truck does not just involve understanding the various types of vehicles available for secondhand purchase; once you have determined what kind of truck you need, the next step is finding businesses selling what you aim to buy. Along with simply viewing the trucks online, it is important to actually go to the dealership where the truck waits to be purchased so that you can take a closer look at what you are about to get. Inspecting a used semi tractor-trailer can be a tedious process, as it involves actually looking at the inside and outside of the vehicle along with checking out the specs on paper. Regardless, pre-owned commercial trucks can be very expensive and it is important to avoid bad surprises – know the history of the truck to ensure that you aren’t buying a vehicle that has been in 20 accidents and is knocking on death’s door.

3. Don’t just listen to what the salespeople say

As is the case with most automobile sales businesses, customers should be wary of the fact that the salespeople get a commission off of every sale they make. This means that they will often be driven to make a sale even when the product does not necessarily fit the consumer, as well as the buyer, would hope. This does not mean that buying used big rigs from a dealership is a bad idea, but it does strengthen the argument to be made for doing personal research. Some of the best trucks to buy used can come from pre-owned vehicle dealers, but the high cost of buying a used tractor-trailer means that a few hours of learning about the details of a truck that might become yours is well worth the effort. With this being said, there are plenty of truck dealerships such as this Truck Dealer Calgary, who can help you find the perfect second-hand vehicle you’re after.

4. Ensure that your needed specs are met

Just like a family of 6 probably shouldn’t have a Mazda Miata as their primary car, buying a used tractor-trailer that you want instead of one that you need can end up being a mistake that becomes very costly over time. If a cheaper or newer truck is smaller than you would like, you will miss out on lots of opportunities to haul lucrative loads due to your lack of cargo space. If the bigger semi looks more comfortable on the inside but guzzles more gas than a small nation, your loads might not be big enough to cover the cost of maintaining and fueling such a monstrosity. Purchasing a used freight truck requires a good business sense and a willingness to keep things objective so that the decisions you are making are those that are best for your business long-term and not impulsive buys that you will come to regret.

5. Look into the reviews/history of the current owner

Deciding where to buy a used semi-truck is just as important as deciding what used-semi truck to buy; if the person that is selling it to you is dishonest, or a crook, you are likely not getting your money’s worth ut of the purchase. As a result, taking advantage of services like Yelp that will inform you as to the history of the seller will undoubtedly help you decide whether or not to buy from them. There is always the chance that the truck has issues that aren’t clear until it actually hits the road, and although there isn’t really a way to prevent this possibility (even when a contract is in place to attempt to dissuade sellers from making false claims), looking at reviews can be a great way to gauge the trustworthiness and quality of the seller from whom you are looking to buy a used semi-truck. The transition of businesses into the digital age has made it increasingly easier to know a great deal about companies and their services, so a smart trucker looking into buying a used tractor-trailer will utilize these simple and fast resources.

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Although the prices on a used truck can be far lower than they would be on a new vehicle, big rig trucks are very expensive regardless. Accumulating enough cash to buy a used semi-truck can be difficult, and taking out loans can put the business owner at risk.

If you’re already hauling loads and are ready to buy another big rig, freight factoring can get you the cash you need to help with your down payment. For more information on freight factoring, call Easy Freight Factoring today.

We will connect you with a truck factoring company that can put money in your hands within 24 hours of making a deal. Ready to get started now? Fill out the form below to get a free online quote!