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You can’t afford not to take a vacation

Truckers Need Vacations Too!

With the passing of Memorial Day, the official summer vacation season has begun. If you think skipping a vacation in order to get more work done is a good idea, think again! Passing on taking time off work can be hazardous to your health. Everyone needs vacation time to recharge the body and mind. It is valuable time that makes us more productive and creative.

We all experience stress on the job

Everyone experiences stress in their job – EVERYONE!

Truckers are no different. Here’s a rather bleak list of stress-inducers common to truckers:

1. Heavy traffic volume
2. adhering to the H.O.S.
3. the D.O.T.
4. the demands of shippers and receivers
5. the multitude of rules and regulations to follow
6. dispatcher demands
7. driving in bad weather and heavy traffic
8. being separated from family and friends for extended periods

With this list, it’s fair to say that truck drivers encounter more stress in their jobs than the average worker. Sadly though, taking vacations or time off is not a common habit among truck drivers.

The importance of vacation time for drivers

Our mobile connectivity has increasingly blurred the line between our work life and personal life. We are all programmed to check our emails, text messages, or phone calls. And, it doesn’t matter where we are. It could be at work, at dinner, or even at our kid’s soccer game. At a minimum, vacation time eliminates a large portion of those distractions, giving you time to unwind and relax. It’s time you can use to spend with family and enjoy new experiences. Vacation time refuels the brain and the body and improves productivity.

Studies have shown that truck drivers need more than just a 34-hour reset break from a job. At a minimum, they need to step out of the cab for at least 5 days before they start to unwind and relax. The fallacy many drivers have is that, by not taking vacations, they will make more money. The reality is that, with electronic logs and restricted hours of service, it isn’t possible to work longer hours to increase your revenue.

You may think you can’t afford to take a vacation. Just the opposite is true…you can’t afford not to take a vacation.

DriverSource understands the importance of time away from the job. That’s why our benefits package includes paid vacation time for drivers after working full-time for one year.

Bill D for DriverSource