As a trucker who drives a big semi truck for days on end, you spend a lot of your life on the road. It can be very easy to fall into bad habits while you’re driving day in and day out, but keeping yourself healthy is important so that you can perform at your best and enjoy your work more. Here are some ways that you can keep yourself healthy while operating your semi truck.

Eating Right

Many truckers end up stopping for snacks at gas stations or picking up fast food along their routes because it’s quick and convenient and tasty. However, it’s just not good for you to eat too much salty, sugary, high-fat food. 

Try to shop for healthy snacks at grocery stores along your route, including fresh cut fruit and vegetables, string cheese, yogurt, granola bars, whole-grain crackers, and nuts. When cooking meals, try to portion your plate so that half of it is steamed or raw vegetables, a quarter of it is protein, and a quarter of it is a nutritious starch.

Sleeping Well

Getting enough sleep is crucial for truck drivers, because you don’t want to be so tired that you end up driving off the road or getting into an accident. Always stop whenever you feel like your eyes can’t stay open or you’re losing focus. It’s better to get somewhere late than not at all.

You can invest in earplugs and an eye mask to help you get better sleep in a noisy truck stop or hotel. Try to avoid using your phone for an hour before you go to sleep so that your mind can wind down, too. Aim for a solid eight hours of sleep a night.

Staying Fit

Your semi truck job requires you to sit in the driver’s seat for hours every single day, and being too sedentary can cause serious health issues over time. Whenever you stop for gas or a restroom break or food, take some time to do some stretches and maybe even take a short walk to allow your blood to circulate and your muscles to limber up. At the start or end of your day, try to set aside at least 30 minutes to do some cardio exercises or a brisk walk or jog before you hop in the cab.

Stop by one of our three locations in Washington State to check out our selection of new and used semi trucks for sale. Utility Trailer of Washington serves our customers in Auburn, Mt. Vernon, and Richland, WA.