Driven Women

Don't go nuts

GG—I’ve been driving solo for about three months.

I usually only stay out for a few days at a time, and I’m bored out of my mind. I plan to go cross-country soon, so I figured that I’d better figure out what other truckers do when they’re out for weeks at a time, so I don’t go nuts. Any suggestions?

Darlin’ DD, New Jersey

Darlin,’ do you become bored driving or waiting in between loads? If it’s the former, you’ll need to determine if driving is for you. If it’s the latter, I had the exact opposite issue—too much to do, too little time.

Look at driving as a paid vacation and beg (if you must) for a couple of days off to explore the country. Drop the trailer, secure it and bobtail or rent a car and go, go, go!

• Shopping? We bobtailed to Rodeo Drive!

• Go to the movies…in a real theater.

• Dining? We took the truck to an upscale restaurant in Malibu and were treated like royalty.

• Walk/hike, sightsee, rent a boat or motorcycles.

• Gamble responsibly in Vegas and Reno.

And when you’re waiting to get loaded, unloaded, you can:

• Catch up on paperwork, book your next load, read, write letters and postcards or rest.

• Do any number of crafts.

• Get a DVD player and watch a movie.

• Go on a walk.

Consider buying a small dog. Duke, my Westie, was seven weeks old when he took his first OTR trip. He’s 12 years old now.

Enjoy!

GG

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You can e-mail Golden Girl at goldengirl@otrprotrucker.com or mail your letter to Over the Road Magazine, P.O. Box 549, Roswell, GA 30077-0549.