Healthy Food for Truckers

Within seconds of walking into a truck stop, the trucker diet becomes immediately evident; energy drinks, expansive soda machines, roller dogs, and multiple ascending rows of a brightly lit junk food section to go along with it all. Whether you are a driver or a CEO, the trucker diet should be a problem that you want to solve because our industry won’t survive long on this road.

When we say diet, we don’t mean a strictly regimented schedule and calorie count food plan. We mean the lifestyle of truckers leading to negative eating habits that aid in early onset diseases, which is taking a massive toll on our drivers. It’s hard as a trucker to pass up a hot meal, thus nutritional facts are disregarded, along with their health due to so called “convenience”.

There are few healthy choices at truck stops, though progress is being made because they have to keep up with the generational shift. Beverage options are slowly expanding with more juice and water choices becoming available along with a wider selection of fresh fruit and healthy snacks. We desperately look forward to the day that the junk section is the smallest section at the truck stop.

“The idea that with every purchase you make, you vote for a product, is a sales reality. Truck stops need to aid in the responsibility of driver health and incorporate healthier products to give drivers the chance to vote.”

-J.R. (Founder of Millennials in Trucking)

Truckers sometimes sit between a rock and a hard place when it comes to what and when to eat. It’s immediately uncomfortable to try and eat a sizable meal before bed, and can lead to a plethora of health problems. Eating that same meal before a long shift can lead to increased weight gain and fatigue. It can be hard to find a healthy balance, so we recommend eating lightly throughout the day and being conscious of portion control for larger meals.

Healthy Meal and Snack Recommendations:

Fresh Fruit (apples, bananas, oranges, melons, etc.)

Fresh Vegetables (Carrots, celery, cucumbers, etc.)

Protein bars / Granola bars (Limited Ingredients)

Low Sodium Canned Soups

Applesauce (unsweetened)

Frozen Vegetables in Steam bags

Raw Nuts (Peanuts, Pistachios, Cashews, etc.)

Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds

Trail Mix (minus the candies)

Pretzels (Low Sodium/Unsalted)

Popcorn (Unsalted without butter)

Veggie Chips

Salad Kits

Dark Chocolate (Higher cacao %, the better for you)

Hummus

Guacamole

Peanut butter

Low sodium Crackers

Dried Fruit (No added sugars or preservatives)

Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted Edamame

Dry Cereal or Granola (High Fiber, Low Sugar)

Oatmeal

Baked potato

Kale Chips

Raisins

Choosing natural and organic products while limiting artificial ingredients, preservatives, and GMOs, can further help your energy levels and your overall health.

“Vote for your health.”

— J.R. (Millennials in Trucking)

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Please note, information found on this page is for entertainment purposes only. Any action taken upon the methods described and information on this website is strictly at your own risk.

Road Rules - Trucker Edition

This segment is from trucker to trucker featuring points we all make to eachother sometimes with the use of sign language through our windows, or verbally over the CB radio.

Here’s a brief highlight of what professional truck drivers will agree on and what the rooks need to know before taking the wheel to the highways.

Pull up when you’re done fueling. This can’t be said enough. There’s nothing worse than waiting behind a truck that isn’t fueling and the driver is M.IA. Don’t make another driver wait for you to run your errands or to take your 30. Pump your diesel, DEF, and reefer, and move along speedily. If there isn’t another truck in the pull up, you should be able to get all 3 services in 15 minutes. We’ve all got somewhere to be, so don’t assume another drivers responsibility to adhere to your schedule if you’re the type to throw a wrench in theirs.

Let another truck over. You know first hand how hard it is dodging four wheelers all day than to add to the headache. If you can get over safely, then do so. Be courteous and watch out for one another, give your fellow driver the space he needs, and set the example.

Don’t be a “passhole.” Don’t speed up when another truck is trying to pass you. You didn’t realize your adaptive cruise control set you at 60 MPH in a 70 MPH speed zone but don't punish the next driver for it. You leave them hanging out in the left lane to slow down traffic even though you were the one falling behind. Let the driver do their thing to pass smoothly, and wait to get back to speed when you’re both in the clear.

Stay off my back doors. You wouldn’t expect another trucker to pull up on you, like you personally were the reason they're running late but it will happen. Don't be that guy. The easy solution is to watch upcoming traffic in your lane so you know ahead of time to get over so you can pass quickly and safely. If you think trying to keep a football field distance in front of you was hard, imagine trying to do so with another truck stuck to your bumper, pushing you down the road at 65 MPH. Respect the space behind that trailer in front of you because you know better.

Do not cut off another truck. Period.

No one likes the Jake Brake Jack. You know the guy; bumper to bumper traffic and he’s got his jake brakes set on max to let everyone know he's rolling 10 feet forward. A true professional driver knows how to keep safe distance in heavy traffic with light pressure on the brake pedal. Jake brake Jack doesn’t consider that he’s got multiple team trucks around him and someone’s trying to sleep, he just wants to put his straight pipes to good use. Allowing your diesel motor to roll on a low gear resistance and you will find that you barely need your brakes in a slow crawl, let alone the jake brake.

Utilize your marker interrupter, or don’t? This is an ongoing debate between truckers, with no end in sight. Some truckers hate that you’ll flash your high beams to let them know they’re clear, then there are the rest of us that are less prideful. You’ll find yourself in a blinding storm with rain, snow, or ice building up on your side view mirrors, to the point that you're hesitant to get over, but then the driver behind you gives you a quick flash, and it sets you at ease to merge over. You won’t appreciate it when you’re blinded by high beams in clear weather, but you will understand the calming effect a quick conformation can bring on rough roads. There is no correct way to communicate to other drivers; high beams, marker interrupter, or light control panel - either way you will get your point across. Whichever suits you, this small line of communication makes all of our jobs just a little bit easier. Looking for a rule of thumb? In bad weather, flash your high beams, and in clear weather use your marker interrupter.

The left lane is for passing. For truckers, the middle lane is our left lane. Due to a ridiculous and outdated road system that will cut us off from using the 2 left lanes on a 4 lane highway, or the 3 left lanes on a 5+ lane interstate, you will notice the battle between these lanes in your first few days of driving a rig. Use your defensive driving skills with full intention to keep traffic flowing. Yes, you will have to be on constant alert for merging traffic entering the interstate, and yes, you will come up on a slower truck eventually - but there is nothing worse than being hung to dry out in the wrong lane when you're attempting to pass impeding traffic. If you block the left lanes, you are causing a much greater slow down behind you while contributing to unnecessary brake checks. The left lane is for passing, so get back over.

What got you interested in Trucking?

“For the money, and for the glory... but mostly for the money.”

— Smokey and the Bandit

The million dollar question we’re asked anytime someone sees “two kids” in their twenties stepping out of a truck. I could tell you it was our dream… that we knew since we were kids that we wanted to drive a big truck… but then you would mention what a coincidence it was that we met each other. Well, sorry to burst your bubble but that would be a lie. Honestly, we don’t even remember the conversation that truly initiated it. Though we do remember just wanting something promising and consistent. We had relocated to Atlanta from Miami, and we ended up working dead end jobs for months before considering a complete career overhaul.

View of the truck parking area at Petro Truck Stop in Bordentown, New Jersey.

Trucking was brought up lightly in conversation some time before, and at that point, it came up again. Except this time we were genuinely ready to take the dive. Unfortunately for us, the internet held little to no information, only company review sites filled with complaints. We had no one in the industry to turn to, no family or friends that were in trucking. So then we thought, “What better way to find some real information than from the drivers themselves?” At that point in time, we had a close family member that happened to be working at a local truck stop and she was able to confirm hearing the same complaints on a daily basis. That intrigued us to drive over to the truck stop and question as many drivers as we could. We walked all over the truck stop, watching what the drivers would do, stopping people of different breeds, and asking them general advice and tips to getting started. I sought advice from a personal level, “What would you tell me if I was your daughter?” to try and get the most genuine answers possible from the drivers we came across. We got advice on both ends of the spectrum, “Stay away.” and “Do something else.” to “I wish I came out here sooner.” and “I got a PhD in Law but trucking turned out to be my passion.” When asked about income averages, drivers didn’t shy away to show us their paychecks and talk about their worst lows and highest highs. After taking all of it in, we started to look into trucking companies and training options. When we found that we could train together over the road, we were pretty much sold. We immediately saw the potential benefits of the industry. So our little trip to the truck stop worked quite well, and the information we obtained convinced us that we shouldn’t waste anymore time.