Top Tips for Rookie Truckers
If you’ve just started driving a commercial truck for a living, you’re probably feeling a little overwhelmed. You’re still getting used to those long hours behind the wheel, and you’re not sure how to make everything work. Well, don’t worry! Reliable Permit Solutions, LLC is here with three top tips for rookie truckers.
Be Disciplined About Sleep
As everyone knows, it isn’t always easy to get enough sleep as a commercial trucker. That’s why this is number one on our list of tips for rookie truckers. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to change an irregular work schedule. If your time on duty is inconsistent, then your sleep schedule is going to be inconsistent too. That’s why it’s so important to be self-disciplined when it comes to sleep. If you have to finish driving at 6pm and start again the next day at 4am, then you need to lie down in time to get enough sleep to drive safely the next day.
Never Miss a Chance to Shower
When you buy gas at a truck stop, they’ll add shower credits to your fuel rewards card. Some trucking companies have rules about where you’re allowed to fuel up and where you’re not, so it’s always possible to get stuck at a truck stop where you don’t have any shower credits at all. Then there are those nights where you just need to park anywhere you can. The main point to remember here is to never miss an opportunity. If you’re stopping someplace where you can take a shower, make sure to take it – you don’t know when the opportunity will come again!
Manage Your Time
“Manage your time” is our most important tip for rookie truckers. In the life of a trucker, managing your time makes it possible to manage everything else, and the sooner you get on top of that the sooner the other elements will fall into place. That might mean putting in a load of laundry, then jumping in the shower, then switching the laundry to the dryer just before you eat dinner. So, make a schedule and stick to it, and pretty soon your daily life will start to make sense again!
That’s our three top tips for rookie truckers. We hope it was helpful, and remember – for all your permitting needs, call Reliable Permit Solutions, LLC today at 888-949-4220!