Today, we’ll be discussing hobbies for truck drivers. It is no secret that being on the road can be lonely. As a commercial truck driver, you may be on the road for hours or even days at a time. This means you’ll likely have overnight stays or long breaks, and you may find yourself bored.
After all, there’s only so much you can do in the cab of your truck. Have you ever thought about picking up a hobby while on the road? Finding a new hobby can be a fun way to spend your downtime and can provide an outlet for creativity. If you’re interested in learning about potential hobbies for truck drivers, you’re in luck– Let’s get started!
1. Photography
One benefit of being a commercial truck driver is that you get to travel a lot. You get to travel so much, in fact, that you may visit multiple states in a day. This provides a great opportunity for photography! You can capture the beauty of the places you visit and share it with friends or even with the world.
You may consider opening up an Instagram account or a blog to share your photos on. There are a few different avenues you could take with this hobby. For example, you may choose to take photos of only things that you find interesting, or you may want to capture the daily motions that a truck driver goes through and give viewers a glimpse into your life.
If you think your smartphone just doesn’t cut it, you may decide to invest in a higher-quality, professional camera. Whatever you decide, you may find that photography is a great way to keep yourself occupied on the road.
2. Learning a New Language
Gone are the days of enrolling in school to learn a language. Today, there are a wide variety of free language learning apps available, such as Duolingo, as well as apps that require a paid subscription, if your budget allows.
Many apps or other programs are audio-focused, allowing you to practice your new language while you’re on the road by using hands-free technology. And if you’d rather wait for a break, you can sit in your cab or pop in your headphones at a truck stop to practice.
Whether you want to learn a new language to communicate with others or just for fun, this is one of the great and educational hobbies for truck drivers to pick up!
3. Collecting
Taking up collecting as a hobby is one way to make being on the road more enjoyable. Think about something relatively easy and straightforward to collect. Some good examples are magnets, postcards, t-shirts, keychains, and other small souvenirs. Since you’ll more than likely be stopping at various truck stops, you should be able to find these items easily.
For example, you can collect one magnet from every state you visit, or one postcard from every city or town. You can even get a different type of item from each place– They don’t all have to be the same!
If you’re not into stereotypical souvenirs, you can choose anything you desire, such as teddy bears, spoons, hats, or maybe even novelty socks. Not only will this make life on the road a bit more exciting, but you’ll have great memories to look back on for years to come!
4. Exercise as a Hobby
Exercise is important for everyone, especially truck drivers. Driving for long periods of time can wreak havoc on the body, and exercising can help keep you in the best shape so that you can perform your job efficiently. You can even make a hobby out of it.
For example, try exercising when you take breaks at a truck stop or before you get back on the road when you wake up in the morning. Start with the simplest of exercises, such as walking or running, and then slowly progress to more intense exercises like squats or jump roping. You can try challenging yourself a little more each day and making a sort of hobby out of seeing what goals you can attain.
Perhaps you want to start by doing 10 minutes of squats, and then add 15 minutes of walking the next day, and then 10 minutes of push-ups. You can also research different exercises that can be done while on the road and incorporate them into your routine. Check out our previous blog about exercising on the road for more ideas!
5. Starting a YouTube Channel
Have you ever thought about being a YouTuber? If you’re comfortable being on camera, it might not be a bad idea. There are approximately 2.1 billion monthly active users on YouTube from all around the world and more than 800 million videos. Which is why we included it in our list of hobbies for truck drivers.
With that being said, you never know who you might connect with. You may consider starting a channel where you document your daily life as a truck driver, share tips and tricks that may be helpful to other drivers, or just share interesting things you come across on the road.
You can even document your collecting journey if you took that up as a hobby, too! There are so many possibilities, and it gives you a chance to be creative.
6. Listening to Audiobooks or Podcasts
There are thousands and thousands of audiobooks and podcasts out there across a wide variety of streaming platforms. This means there are hours upon hours worth of things to listen to. If you enjoy reading books, audiobooks are a great way to get your fill, all while your eyes are on the road!
If books aren’t really your thing, there are so many podcasts out there that you are bound to find something of interest. From true crime and comedy to interviews and health and fitness-focused podcasts, there is truly something for everyone. And with many podcasts having a large number of episodes, you’ll never get bored!
If you’re not comfortable listening to audiobooks or podcasts while driving, you can always listen while you take breaks or as you wind down to sleep in your cab.
So? What will you choose as your next hobby while on the road?
These are just a few of the possibilities when it comes to picking up a hobby on the road. This not only gives you a way to pass the time and occupy yourself, but also allows you to use your creativity. Have you started any hobbies as a truck driver? Let us know!
In our previous blog, we went over a truck driver gear checklist. While you are on the road, the cab of your truck is essentially your home. This means you’ll want to make sure you always have items on hand that you will need, even in an emergency. You never know what might happen on the road, so it’s always best to be prepared. If you are interested in finding out what items should be on your personal checklist, be sure to check out our last post!
We hope you found this article informative, and we hope to see you back on the blog soon for more tips and insight on topics involving truck drivers. Are you currently seeking new opportunities in the commercial trucking industry? We are always interested in adding new talent to our team! Visit our opportunities page to learn more about our requirements and apply for one of our open positions. Thank you for reading!