We’ve all been on that long car ride that felt like it lasted forever. Spending 4-5 hours cooped up in a car can be boring, but for long distance HGV drivers, 10 hours in the cab of a lorry is a very real day. If you’re an HGV driver who is starting to get bored during your long haul drives, we have a few tips to help you stay engaged, safe and interested during your journey.
Listen To A Book On Tape
Instead of turning on the radio, try listening to an audiobook during your drive instead. Audiobooks are often around 20 hours long in total and you can enjoy them on the move, rather than having to sit down and force yourself to read. You could listen to your favourite series or try something new, either way you will be actively engaging your brain and taking your focus off the long drive.
Have A Good Supply Of Food & Water
There are few things worse than driving on an empty stomach. Driving hungry can make you irritable and distract you from the road, a mistake which could be fatal for any driver, let alone a HGV driver. Make sure you have a stock of drinks and easy to eat snacks within reach while you’re driving. Try and avoid anything with complicated packaging or that will require you to focus on it instead on the road – just grab and o foods and drink to keep you going until a rest stop.
Download Some Podcasts
Listening to music on a long journey is great, but quite often it can all start to blur into one, leaving you bored and alone with your thoughts. Depending on the type of music you like, it could also distract you or make your tired, which is even worse. To keep yourself alert and entertained, try downloading some podcasts to listen to on the journey. There is a podcast for almost anything, and listening to discussion about something you find interesting helps to keep you engaged and lets you explore your interests while driving. You can listen to lectures, comedy shows, debates, TV shows, educational talks and more, so why not try going through the libraries of millions of podcasts to find one you like?
Open Your Windows
This might sound silly. But no matter what the weather you should make a point of opening your window every once in a while. The blast of fresh air will help keep you awake and alert, as well as being an invigorating change. If you’re travelling down country roads, it can be nice to take in the scenery for a while, but on motorways you may only want to open your window for a short time to refresh the air in the vehicle.
Stop Regularly
Where you can, make some time to stop driving, have a stretch and walk around. For HGV drivers this can be a bit challenging, but it is important for your safety and sanity. Staring at roads all day can take its toll on anyone, so taking frequent rests helps break up the monotony and gives you a chance to reinvigorate yourself. Even something as simple as pulling over to buy yourself a coffee and walk around the shop can do wonders.
For more tips on driving long distances, or to find out more about our HGV training courses and what you will learn, get in touch with us via our contact form and we will call you back.