Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

This article comes from two vantage points: that of a trucker’s wife, Kathy Hagle and a trucker therapist, Buck Black. We both know there are many issues drivers simply do not discuss, such as high divorce rates, family problems, depression, low self worth, and the lack of public knowledge in regards to the life of a trucker and his/her family.

If you look at the research on mental health and truckers, you will find mostly Australian articles. Who would have thought the Aussies would be the only ones up on this (no offense to Australians). The sad truth is that America is largely behind in researching, supporting, and helping truckers. This makes no sense given we rely on truckers for just about every material thing we have. If you’ve got it, a trucker brought it…right?

It is important to point out that people in the military have the VA (Department of Veteran’s Affair), which provides support for troops for both physical and mental healthcare. There is even a program where troops can call a therapist and talk about depression, stress, and relationship problems for free (http://www.giveanhour.org). Isn’t it a shame the military has more support for the families involved in that career choice than trucking has even thought of?

If the mental health and family issues related to trucking gain more attention, we firmly believe the general public will have a much more positive image of drivers and their profession. As a result, there will be more support from the business and private communities for truck drivers and their families.

Truckers and their families deserve a very high level of support, which they simply do not receive. We urge every driver and their family to discuss the challenges of being in this profession so that the stigma of asking for some additional help with family life, depression, stress, or any other issue is something that can be openly discussed. The longer these issues are kept secret, the longer families and drivers will go unsupported.

Links to help with families of trucking, as well as truckers

L.O.A.D.S. Online support forum for the families of truckers.

Drivers WellnessProviding quality emotional, relational and spiritual aid to drivers and the trucking industry across the United States and Canada.

Dispatch Me Home was written so that we could revisit, recreate, and enhance the image of the American trucker who drives our highways and byways 24/7. We want to give him a renewed swagger in his step. If there was ever an American original, it was the American Truck driver

Life as a Trucker will entertain, educate, inform, motivate, and inspire.

Can a trucker be macho and still turn to someone else to help deal with problems?  I think so.  I see so many truckers (and people in general) who are so afraid that if they turn for some outside help of any kind, then they are weak.  Would you trust someone that is in business for themselves if they did every single little thing themselves?  Would you trust me if I taught myself everything I know about therapy without having any professors or mentors (don’t worry…I actually did go to college and have a lot of training from others!).  Well, probably not.  Then why would you want to do everything yourself and not take any advice…or at least share ideas with friends, family, and others in your life.

Many people believe that turning to someone else for assistance, advice, or simply to bounce ideas off of is a sign of weakness.  This simply is not true.  Women, in general, are more likely to consult with others and they are often in better health than us guys.  I hate to admit it, but its true!  Women usually know how to take care of themselves and guys need to learn from them.  This is probably why women live several years longer than men on average.

People who insist on doing everything themselves usually do this for a good reason.  Lets take mental health for instance.  If you are a trucker and your company finds out that you are receiving mental health services, then that could be harmful to your career.  Yes, you are trying to improve your situation, yet you get punished for it.  I know, this is wild!  Maybe you are afraid of what others may think.  This makes sense.  Isn’t it a shame that a person seeking help may be discriminated against?  As bleak as this sounds, there are ways to avoid the stigma and potential future problems.

Read the rest of this entry »

I know that for many drivers out there, taking care of themselves is probably further down the list. This is when there are such serious worries about making enough money to live, doing what you need to do to keep your job, and worrying about what kind of trouble your kid has gotten into since you have been on the road!

I just want to remind everyone that they need to be taking care of themselves—especially when one has been out on the road for a while.  I know– its rather common to hear someone say “take care of yourself.”  What does that really mean?

I define this by taking care of your body:

• eating within reason
• getting a bit of exercise
• seeking medical help if you start to get sick

Taking care of your mental health:

• Talking with friends and other supports when you are stressed out
• Finding something to do to break the monotony of driving
• Keeping your mind busy—doing a crossword puzzle, reading a good book

Mind Body Connection

Please don’t forget about the mind-body connection.  I know a lot of people think this is part of one of those “new age hippy sort of things.”  However, I’m here to tell you that our minds affect our bodies and our bodies affect our minds.  For example, think about the times you have had too much junk food and its made you crabby, irritable, or maybe even depressed.  Also, think about the times you have been really bummed out about something and this has made you tired and has maybe even made your body ache.

Remember to take care of your physical health and your mental health.  It takes a good bit of work, but it will help you to make you more productive, happier, and even a safer driver!

I would really like to hear comments about how you take care of yourself.  Lets see how many comments we can get on here and maybe we can start some discussion.  This will be a lot more fun than me droning on and on about techniques for taking care of yourself.

On a side note: I am attempting to raise money and awareness for an important charity, MDA, the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I am going to jail for MDA and must raise $1600 bail money. If you are willing and able, please consider shortening my jail time by clicking on the link below to donate to MDA. Your donation will be tax deductible. Even one dollar is very helpful. https://www.joinmda.org/lafayettetelu2009/buck

I am writing this post to build off Wayne’s blog post “Where’s the Light?”  What is one to do about it?  Well, you can certainly write your congressman, OOIDA, and various other entities.  However, I also want to remind you that much of this is also out of your control, unfortunately.  It is so important to remember what is in your power and what is totally out of your hands.  Worrying about those things that are out of your hands causes plenty of stress related problems…ulcers, depression, lack of concentration, arguments with others, and anger…just to mention a few.

I want to offer a few lines of encouragement to all those truckers out there.  Here are several common problems people experience in times like these.

Wondering thoughts

-When you catch yourself focusing on those money problems or other unpleasant thoughts, remind yourself to focus on something else.  The dwelling on these negative thoughts just makes things worse and worse.  Yes, it is very easy to do dwell on these thoughts…redirect yourself.

-Remember that you are in charge of what you think.

-Don’t forget the law of attraction: you get what you focus on.  Be sure to distract yourself by focusing on the road (of course) and listen to some of your favorite music and keep in touch with family and friends.  Just make sure to keep it positive.

Difficulty sleeping

Sleep is difficult for many people at various times throughout their life.  Of course, the stress from the economy makes it much worse for many drivers out there. Read the rest of this entry »

This is my first post at Life on the Road and I’m excited about becoming part of the community!  I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who does therapy at my private practice in Lafayette, IN and online at Trucker Therapy. I frequently work with truckers and hope to be able to provide some helpful thoughts and spur some discussion.

Being an over the road trucker automatically means that you are one who specializes in long distance relationships.  Think about it…  You are on the road for days, if not weeks on end and have very little contact with others.  I think it is very important to acknowledge this and the difficulties that can follow.  All too often, I see truckers who ignore the fact that most of their relationships are long distance ones.  Ignoring this fact of life makes the typical feelings of a long distance relationship (emotional distance, feeling lonely, having those little miscommunications over the phone and email, and many more pesky problems) often leads to feelings of depression and isolation.  The next time you might have this feeling, ask yourself where these feelings are coming from.  There is a great chance that it stems from one of those long distance relationships.

Read the rest of this entry »