2 Best Way For Truckers To Stay Connected To Family
Been on the road for days, weeks, or even months without seeing your family? According to an FQA on Trucking Truth, “Most drivers start their careers over-the-road, getting home every 4-6 weeks or so.”
Sadly, this can be detrimental to truck drivers’ relationships with their spouses and children. According to a survey by the Census Bureau, in which they tracked the divorce rates for each of roughly 500 occupations, the divorce rate for truck drivers is at a shocking 44%. Considering these alarming statistics, it’s crucial for truck drivers to stay connected to their families; especially while on the road, to ensure happy relationships with their spouse and children.
Here are two fun and easy ways to stay connected to your family:
Share photos on Social Media
Sharing photos and writing posts will let you know what’s going on in your family’s life and your family will get a glimpse of your life on the road as well. This will create a mutual understanding between you and even improve your relationship with your family overall.
Here are some fun ideas of photos to take while traveling:
- Beautiful Scenery
Take pictures of nature; lakes, rainbows, open prairie, mountains and more.
- Famous Landmarks
Make sure you get a snapshot of The Statue of Liberty, The Golden Gate Bridge or other well-known landmarks to share with your family.
- The Driving Cab
Most importantly, take pictures of yourself inside your truck’s cab. This will give your family the real experience of how it is on the road. It will also help them understand your profession and the joys and challenges that come along with it.
Make Daily Phone Calls
Never underestimate the power of a phone call. While texts and Facebook posts can be sent on the run, making a phone call requires intention and adds value. With modern technology in our hands, we can even make video calls and be face to face with our loved ones. Seeing your little boy or girl’s face light up when he or she sees you will make your day. Just because there is nothing pressing to discuss doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t call. According to Psychology Today, having good support from family can even help your job. “High levels of social support predict more job satisfaction and longer job tenure than low levels of social support.”
Here are a few easy topics of conversation for your calls:
- Work/ School
Inquire how your partner or child’s school or work day went. If they have good news to tell you, then express your happiness for them. If they had any difficulties, share their frustrations with them and offer possible solutions to the problems. Also, let them know how your day on the road went.
Tell them about interesting things that you saw while driving or about the challenges you faced that day.
- Anniversaries, Birthdays and Holidays
It can be hard to keep up with important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays while traveling. Set reminders on your phone so you make sure not to miss out on calling your family on these important days to share in their joy with them.
- Weather
Talking about the weather may have the reputation as being one of the most maligned conversational starters but it can be a great way to ease into a conversation. Ultimately, the weather affects each and every one of our lives; especially truck drivers’ who are out there in the elements on the road. So let your family know what is going on for you; whether it’s a snow blizzard or scorching heats. This will help you to unburden the stress that goes along with driving in extreme conditions and also will keep your family assured that you are safe despite the weather.
We hope these tips will help you stay connected with your family even while on the job. Just because there are miles between you doesn’t mean that you are far apart at heart. By sharing photos and posts and keeping up with daily phone calls, you can stay up to date with everything in your family’s life and share your journey with them as well.