Congratulations to Richard Bain on being awarded March’s Driver of the Month. Richard has been a part of the Oakley Team since 2016. Kevin Jenkins and Bill Holt, along with the operation team, presented him with a custom jacket and award this morning in Lake Wales.
Please join us in congratulating JF Koontz on being awarded Employee of the 1st Quarter. JF has been with Oakley almost four years and has proven to be a hardworking, trustworthy and self-motivated employee. Kelly McDowell and the Safety team presented him with an award, company shirts and $100 yesterday afternoon.
We want to also congratulate John Jones on being awarded Maintenance Employee of the 1stQuarter. John has been with Oakley for almost 3 years. Earlier this week Pete, Mark Poe and the Maintenance team presented him with an award, company shirts and $100.
JF Koontz (L) receiving his award for Employee of the 1st Quarter at Oakley Transport.
John Jones (center) being awarded Maintenance Employee of the 1st Quarter at Oakley Transport.
It could result from the endless miles that afford your mind the time to wander, or it may be the melancholy tune that strikes a chord in your heart. Whatever your trigger may be, you are not alone in the feeling. Homesickness is not unusual among truckers. Unfortunately, it can add stress to the job and become a detriment to a career. But don’t worry, we are here to help! Check out these tips below on how to overcome loneliness on the road.
“One of the hardest parts, if not the hardest part, of becoming an over-the-road truck driver is leaving home,” a blogger from truckingtruth.com claims. The key is to separate on-the-road and at-home responsibilities. Allowing your feelings to dictate your driving could result in an unsuccessful career. Part of becoming an excellent driver is learning the skill of coping with emotional and mental spikes. “When we talk about folks being top-tier drivers, people always think we are just referring to their ability to endure long bouts at the wheel turning lots of miles each day, but there really is so much more.”
To master emotions you must first master the task. Set daily goals and concentrate on using brain power to reach those targets. This will come in handy when sentimental distractions of home begin to swell. One of those daily objectives could be fitting in a workout. Exercising produces endorphins which boosts mood and attitude. “It will also keep your mind busy while you are on mandatory breaks,” a blogger from trucklogics.com relays.
Don’t forget to use the assets of this extraordinary profession to break the mood blues. As a trucker you travel through many unique places. Embrace your home away from home and take advantage of tourist activities while you travel. “You get the awesome perk of being able to see the entire country already because you are a truck driver,” the blogger from trucklogics.com says. “So why not get out of your truck and enjoy the sights a little more?”
Lastly, remember you are not alone out there. Other truckers experience the same hardships. Surround yourselves with partners of the road and create your own fellowship of freighters. Sometimes the best cure for emotional unrest is spending time with other brothers and sisters in the trucking industry.
The 2017 Florida Trucking Association Truck Driving Championships begin this Thursday, June 15th in Daytona Beach, Florida. Oakley Transport will be represented by seven of Oakley’s finest Professionals.
The following Professionals will “land upon” the Daytona Beach Ocean Center and compete against over 200 of Florida’s finest drivers:
We know that each of them will be “giving it their all” and I’m sure they are all hopeful towards bringing home a trophy. A special thanks to Tommy Oakley for his support towards this very special event. And thanks to everyone else for your hard work day in and day out here at Oakley that in turn allows events and professionals like this to be celebrated.
Hurtling along stretches of road, amassing copious mileage and spending endless hours glued to the helm of a cargo-loaded transportation truck. This is a day in the life of a trucker. These long hours can be taxing on the body. It’s hard enough for ordinary professionals to regularly populate their fitness center. It’s much more difficult for those constantly on-the-go to make it to the gym. However, exercise is key to maintaining physical and mental health. For truckers, it can be as easy as taking a lap around the next truck stop.
Siphiwe Baleka was a collegiate swimmer with Olympic aspirations. However, his life took a detour when he found himself full-time behind the steering wheel of a semi. As a result, his health quickly suffered.
Luckily, Baleka’s extreme fitness background kept him from completely spiraling. He created a fitness system (which includes intense 1-minute workouts at truck stops) that has kept his body in check. His suggestion for other truckers is to commit to four minutes of exercise a day, like walking, running or doing jumping jacks and crunches and eventually build up to 15 minutes.
Exercise should not be a solo act, however. Eating healthy is just as crucial. Baleka encourages drivers to consume wholesome snacks every three hours in conjunction to regular meals. “Limit carbs and stick to protein: a handful of almonds, a low-fat cheese stick and tuna are examples of between-meal snacks for on-the-go people,” Baleka says in an article on fredericksburg.com. As for meals, try to choose nutritious cuisine. Austin Haskew from everytruckjob.com says “it’s easy to grab fast food and often cheaper, too. But the money you save on that food will be eaten away by future medical bills!”
Also, Baleka emphasizes a third component that contributes to better health – sleep! Sleep deficiency leads to weight gain, he explains. “Without adequate sleep, your body can’t regulate food intake properly.” Make sure and get those “zzz’s.”
Multiple methods exist to halt packing on the pounds. For example, working various muscle groups simultaneously can achieve the most out of a short exercise. Just keep some small weights and resistance bands in your truck to supplement any activity, Haskew recommends. If getting sweaty isn’t your jam, try a few short yoga videos – it’s great for body and mind. There are a plethora of short tutorials on Youtube.
If you’re ever stuck on what particular exercises to use, Baleka launched the Active Trucker Fitness Program which can be found as an extension of the Skimble’s Workout Trainer program app. This will help remove the stress of preparing a workout and help keep you on track. Whatever your regime may be, always keep this in mind: Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.