How to Handle Holiday Stress: 5 Tips for Truck Drivers and Fleet Managers
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It's the most beautiful yet busiest time of the year again, especially for freight truck drivers. During the holidays, customers' extra shopping demands mean more freight for the truckers to deliver and additional traffic on the roads. Such a situation leads to taxing road travel, especially to long-haul drivers.
Since the holiday season falls in winter, truck drivers are often faced with bad weather. This can cause delays in deliveries, sleep deprivation, and tight deadlines. Also, consider the stress they get from being away from home for several days or weeks.
Unmanaged stress can severely impact the truckers' mental and physical health. This can also affect their job performance. Holiday stress should be dealt with not only by the truckers but by the fleet managers as well. Below are some tips for handling the usual and additional holiday stressors:
Helpful tips for fleet operators:
As the manager, you are responsible for your drivers' health and well-being. If you could use some tips on how to help your drivers cope up with the holiday stress, consider the pointers below:
- Know who are willing to work through the holidays.
Talk to your drivers and find out in advance who are willing to work during the holidays. If you do this several weeks before the holidays, you can adjust your fleet's delivery schedule and allow more drivers to go home and spend the holidays with their families. Prioritize those who have worked through other holidays and special occasions earlier in the year.
- Give a bonus holiday pay.
Reward the drivers who agree to work through the holidays. In this trying time, the extra cash will go a long way. This will make the drivers feel appreciated and help reduce stress. It also alleviates stress caused by the extra financial demands caused by the holidays.
- Send out a message of thanks to your drivers.
Ensure every driver who works during the holiday gets at least a message or a phone call from your company to wish him happy holidays and let him know that you appreciate his hard work. Whether the drivers are working or enjoying the holidays at home, it is a good idea, as a fleet manager, to call, email, or text them and thank them for their dedication to their job and their contribution to the company's success. This simple gesture costs you nothing, but it will boost the driver's morale and help improve his overall mental health.
- Provide your drivers with stress-relief tools.
Simple and inexpensive gifts can also do wonders as they help make the receiver feel valued and appreciated. Why not surprise your drivers with stress-relief tools and toys that can help them cope with a stressful situation this holiday? Among these are back massagers, stress balls, therapy dough, fidget toys, and aromatherapy pens.
- Be flexible, and don't overstress your drivers.
While some people are dealing with crowded malls and long supermarket queues, truck drivers have their own holiday stress. If possible, arrange your fleet's delivery schedule so that drivers can still go home and spend time with their families. If this isn't possible, be a bit lenient to those who are going to work. Be more understanding in case they arrived at their destination a little late than scheduled.
Best holiday advice for long-haul drivers
Do not allow holiday stress to take a toll on your health and your job performance. If you've been a long-haul trucker for several years now, you probably have good time management skills. Match that with the following tips, and you're armed with everything you need to combat high levels of stress during the holidays:
- Pack more patience.
Winter can be harsh for truck drivers and their big rigs. The inclement weather, plus the heavy traffic during the holiday, are enough to give you severe driving conditions. When the weather gets bad, no truck driver should be continuing his journey. Rushing to get to your destination can cause rollovers and collisions. Find a safe place to stop, pull over, and wait until the condition gets better and safer for you to continue driving. Always remember that no deliveries are worth your life.
It also pays to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you and avoid tailgating. This gives you extra space and allows you to make an emergency stop and maneuver under unfavorable situations safely. During winter, it is a must to drive at reduced speeds, and the best way to ensure your safety is to take your time and be patient.
- Stay active.
One of the best ways to minimize mental and physical stress is to keep moving. You are always behind the wheels for long hours, so try to get exercise whenever you can. You can do jumping jacks, brisk walking around the truck stop, lifting weights, or other physical activities—what's important is you get at least 20 minutes a day to exercise. But according to the ADAA, a 5-minute aerobic exercise can activate the body's anti-stress mechanisms. Even a quick walk around the area where you chose to pull over and rest can help bring down your stress levels.
Physical exercise sends a signal to your brain to give out "runners high." These feel-good endorphins will help you handle minor complications and nuisance that may arise. They also help improve your quality of sleep and keep you in a good mood. If you have been immobile for a while, start at a lower level and gradually work your way up. Choose a physical exercise that you enjoy doing as this increases your chance of sticking to it and making it a habit.
- Eat healthy.
A healthy diet is proven to lower your stress level and make you feel calmer. During the holidays, try to resist the temptation to eat unhealthy food choices. Avoid consuming excessive carbs, sugar, and fat as this can cause your blood sugar to crash, and it may affect your mood. If possible, pick the more nutritious options available and practice portion control if you want to indulge.
If you eat heavy holiday meals, balance it out with food items rich in antioxidants and Omega-3. These food items also help fuel your brain, enabling you to make smart decisions when driving. Pack healthy snacks and make sure you'll eat nutritious food on the go.
- Keep in touch with your loved ones.
Your job needs you to be away from your loved ones more often than you're staying at home. During the holidays, your homesickness can quickly multiply. The best way to keep your stress level down in times like this is to be more proactive about staying in touch with your family through text, phone calls, video chat, email, and many other media.
Nothing can replace the benefits of getting a sound 6-8 hours of sleep a day. It is one of the main ingredients for a healthy lifestyle for a reason. It can boost your immune system and minimize holiday stress. Enough sleep improves your focus and attention, helping you avoid accidents and distractions on the road.