Most truck drivers will tell you that sitting alone in a truck can make the body and brain tired, especially on trips and routes you know “in your sleep.” Changing shifts and hours can also mess with your internal clock. So how can you legally and safely stay awake longer and better? Here are some tips from the professionals at Gray Transportation.
Gray Transportation wants all of our employees to live healthy. Sadly the trucking industry is not usually known for healthy lifestyles. We hope that talking about health and offer easy ideas for better health can change that, at least for our company.
September is National Cholesterol Education Month. What is cholesterol and how did I get it? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs. We all have some and need some. The problem comes when we have too much of the bad kind and not enough of the good kind.
There are two kinds of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) the “good” cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) the “bad” cholesterol. When we talk about having high cholesterol, we are talking about “bad” LDL cholesterol.
What does cholesterol do in the body? Too much cholesterol in your blood can build up on the walls of your arteries and form blockages. Those blockages may lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. High cholesterol in the blood is one of the main risk factors for two of the leading causes of death in the United States; heart disease and stroke.
Bad news, seventy-one million American adults have high cholesterol. More bad news, only one-third of them have the condition under control.
What can you do? Get screened. Screening is the key to detecting high cholesterol. High cholesterol does not have symptoms and many (most) people do not know that their cholesterol is too high. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to check your cholesterol level with a blood draw screening. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that adults aged 20 years or older have their cholesterol checked every 5 years, more often if your numbers are high or you have a family history of high cholesterol.
You may need to have your cholesterol checked more often if your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or higher, your HDL cholesterol is lower than 40 mg/dL or you have other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Talk to your doctor about diet and medication options.
Gray Transportation cares about your health. If you are looking to drive for a great local company, please contact us today.
Let’s face it, while on the road you do not want to make too many stops, so you avoid drinking water at all costs. Avoiding drinking water may seem like the best idea, but in reality, your body needs water to survive. Gray Transportation wants you to make a goal this month to drink at least half your body weight in water. You can do this by tricking yourself to drinking more water each day. It’s as simple as challenging yourself and setting a goal.
Trick yourself into drinking more water:
Add drinking water into your daily routine. If you already have a great morning and bedtime routine set, simply add drinking more water into the routine. Right when you wake up, drink a glass of water and do the same right before you go to bed. Your body needs to be hydrated 24/7 and can possibly help you sleep a little better at night and wake up easier in the morning.
Get a nice water bottle and mark it with time-oriented goals. Using a permanent marker, write times in which you should be done with the water. Set a goal that by noon, the entire bottle of water will be complete, then refill and start again. Find a water bottle that is at least 32 ounces so you are more likely to drink a higher quantity of water.
Add some flavor to your water so you’re more likely to drink it. So maybe you just do not like plain water. That’s okay because there are solutions to this problem. Add a few lemon slices or pick up a bottle of sparkling flavored water if you are trying to ween off soda.
Gray Transportation wants you to stay cool during the dog days of summer. If you are looking for a career change this July, contact Gray to learn about driving for us.
Being a trucker means we have to be alert all day, every day. There’s no room for error while on the road, so that means alertness is vital to our everyday livelihood. Gray Transportation is bringing you tips for ways to wake up and stay up while on the road. Today’s blog will be filled with helpful information for staying awake on the road, which could save a life.
Tips to Wake Up and Stay Up on the Road:
Gray Transportation understands the importance of staying awake on the road so we hope these tips help while you are driving. Interested in driving for Gray? Find more information here.
Living in Iowa doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t see the sun, even during those brutal winters. As truck drivers, our profession means half of our bodies; specifically the left side of our face is always exposed to the sun while driving. Although catching rays feels great, we also need to be aware of our risk for skin cancer.
Gray Transportation is bringing you information for your skin health just in time for the summer season. Now is the time to prevent and detect your skin cancer risk. Being a truck driver, constantly exposed to the sun means we may be at an increased risk for skin cancer, so today we are bringing you tips for preventing skin cancer.
Preventing skin cancer:
Detecting skin cancer:
Stand in front of a full length mirror in a well-lit room to check your skin at least once a month. Check all areas of the skin and use a smaller, handheld mirror to check your back and hard to see areas. If you notice any changes in your skin, contact your doctor.
Skin cancer is becoming more relevant in the United States, but it is also treatable if caught in time. Gray Transportation wants you to be safe from the sun all year round. Contact us today to learn about careers at Gray Transportation.
The spring season means many people are thinking of getting in shape or losing weight. Gray Transportation understands the difficulties of being on the road and trying to stay healthy. In March, we talked about how you can be a healthy trucker when it comes to food choices. This month, we are going to discuss how you can get fit on the road without going to the gym. No matter where you are on the road, whether it is the truck stop, rest area, or a gas station; you can get fit by following a few simple exercise tips.
Spend at least 15 minutes each day being active– You may not feel like doing push-ups or crunches, but you can at least walk around for 15 minutes per day. This can be easily accomplished on a break or while fueling up the truck. Consider doing a few laps on the inside or outside of the truck stop or walking along the path at the rest area. Rest areas are great for cardio because there are typically dedicated areas for walking.
Use your own body for weight lifting– You don’t need to be in the gym for strength training. Push-ups, crunches, and leg workouts can easily be done without extra weights. Try doing three sets of 15 push-ups every morning or before you go to sleep at night. Your arms will eventually gain muscle. Crunches are great for working your core, so do three sets of 20 crunches. Even the smallest steps to a fit life can help you reach your fitness goals on the road.
Gray Transportation encourages you to be active for at least 15 minutes each day. You will be amazed with the results of combining exercise and healthy eating. Contact Gray Transportation to join our team of successful drivers today.
Your health is the most important aspect of your life because it affects all other aspects of your life. Staying healthy as a truck driver is even more important because it is harder on the road. It may be hard to be the healthy trucker, but it is not impossible. Today, Gray Transportation is going to share a few tips on how to be healthy on the road.
There are three major components to staying healthy: eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising.
Eating well-
What you put into your body can directly affect how healthy you are. On the road, it is easy to stop into the convenience store when you’re fueling up the truck. Seems easy enough, but you’re doing more harm than good. Try to stay away from processed and greasy foods and head for the healthier, more natural options. Many chain truck stops and gas stations have healthier food options for about the same price as junk food. You can also bring your own food on the road to save money.
Getting Enough Sleep-
Sleeping well is just as important as eating well. Sometimes, sleeping on the road won’t be as great as sleeping at home, unfortunately, that’s the nature of the business. The best way to get a good amount of sleep is to make the cab as dark as possible and be sure to put away any distractions, like your phone. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Being tired on the road is dangerous because you run the risk of an accident. Always consider sleep one of your top priorities.
Exercising-
Hitting the gym while being a trucker isn’t usually possible, but that doesn’t mean you can do more to get some exercise in. On your breaks, take a few laps around the rest area or at the truck stop. It is good to get your legs moving as much as you can.
Gray Transportation wants you to be the healthy truck driver. Set an example for everyone else and get started today. If you’re driven and a leader, we want you on our team, contact us today to drive for Gray.
When you come home from a nice night out to dinner, you set your leftovers in the refrigerator. A few days go by and you haven’t eaten the leftovers, so you toss the rest. If you did that twice a month, you could be throwing away hundreds of dollars each year.
Gray Transportation is always looking for tips for you to save money, be safe, and enjoy your driving time so in today’s blog we are going to point out four things to stop wasting your money on right now.
Gray Transportation hopes these tips will help you stop wasting money on everyday occurrences while on the road. A little bit of planning can keep you from crazy amounts of money on the road. What are you waiting for? Join the team of professional drivers who are driven to succeed.
January brings the start of the annual tax season. Paying our taxes is what every individual and business must do, but did you know you could benefit even more from this time of year? As a truck driver, you are at an advantage when it comes to tax deductions because you live most of your life on the road. You would be surprised by the items you are able to claim.
From reimbursement for truck supplies to licensing fees, you are able to claim a lot of your purchases on your taxes. Gray Transportation wants to share a list of items you are able to claim on your taxes. You can even claim cleaning supplies you use for cleaning out the cab of your truck!
Tax deductions and advantages for truck drivers:
Gray Transportation cares about your life on the road and at home, so we hope you take advantage of these opportunities. If you are not currently working for Gray Transportation and you want to join a team of dedicated employees, apply to be a driver for Gray today.
It’s no secret that trucking in the Midwest through the winter can be dangerous because the weather is unpredictable. Gray Transportation cares about your safety with the winter weather, so we want to give you six tips for winter truck driving safety. Driving for Gray means you are in good hands if you ever deal with an accident on the roadways.
Winter Driving Tips:
Keep an eye on the temperature. This may seem obvious, but in the Midwest, temperatures can change quickly especially in the winter. The water on the road will freeze at 32 degrees, but sometimes the roadways are slightly warmer than the air. None the less, be wary of changing temperatures.
Communicate with other drivers. If you are new to trucking, get on the CB radio and find an experienced driver and ask for advice. Experienced or not, we are all a little nervous when it comes to driving in the winter conditions.
Pull over if you have to. Don’t be afraid to pull into a truck stop to wait for the storm to pass or roads to clear. If the closest truck stop is full, find an off ramp or rest stop. Don’t stop on an incline, so you don’t have trouble with getting stuck.
There’s no load worth your life. Even if you are close to deadline or only have 50 miles to go, that load isn’t worth it if the roads are terrible. If you are on dangerous roadways, your best bet is to get off of the road.
Don’t follow too closely. It is most people’s instinct to drive close together during bad weather. We don’t suggest following others too closely, especially cars because they typically think the roads are safer than they really are.
Gray Transportation wishes you well this winter season. We want you to be as safe as possible while driving for Gray.