It’s more important than ever for you to stay as healthy as possible when you’re out on the road. The demand for trucks and supplies will likely continue to be high as Americans stay home to try to avoid exposure to and the spread of COVID-19. To help protect your own health and that of your family, and to ensure that much-needed food, supplies and medicines get to where they need to be, we’ve put together the top tips on how to stay healthy on the road.
Eat Out Less, Bring Food from Home with You on the Road
One way to reduce your exposure to Coronavirus and other viruses and infections is to avoid buffets, eating in restaurants and unpackaged foods at truck stops. If possible, it’s a good idea to cook food at home and bring it with you out on the road in Tupperware containers in a cooler. If you’re too busy to do that, consider going to a grocery store to buy snacks, sandwich makings, hummus and crackers, canned fruit and other easy-to-consume foods that you can store in a cooler or in your truck.
Make Healthy Food Choices
Fueling your body with wholesome, healthy foods can help boost your immune system, positively impact your mood and make you feel more alert. If you’re looking for ideas on what to cook and eat to stay as healthy as possible, enclosed car hauler Jacinda Duran of Jacinda Lady Truck’n has some great recommendations.
“Making good food selections is everything. I do a lot of chicken and turkey patties. Turkey patties can go with anything, from salads to chili beans to vegetables. I also have a vegetable based macaroni and cheese. My biggest thing is I stay away from breads on my truck. That’s probably the only thing I don’t bring on my truck: complex carbs that I’m not going to burn. I do a lot of water, fruits and vegetables.”
Use Clorox Wipes on Fuel Pump Touch Screens, Pump Handles and Other Surfaces
Independent owner operators Deb and Del LaBree transport medicine and medical supplies from Colorado to the East Coast.
“We haul medicine that has to move no matter what,” said Deb LaBree. “We can’t quarantine ourselves 100 percent, but we have always been conscientious of sanitary practices — but we are even more so now.”
The LaBrees recommend wiping down steering wheels, touch screens, fuel pumps and other surfaces with Clorox wipes to avoid exposure and/or transmission of Coronavirus. It’s also a good idea to wash your hands after going out in public and touching any surfaces like rest room door handles and ATMs, as well as money.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water over using hand sanitizer, though hand sanitizer is better than nothing if soap and water aren’t available. If you do use hand sanitizer, make sure it is an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol. If your hands are visibly dirty, always use soap and water.
Use Skype, Facetime, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp and Other Free Video Chat Apps To Stay Social
COVID-19 is spread mainly from person to person between people who are in close contact with one each other, within about six feet. That’s why the CDC is recommending limited social contact. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, respiratory droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
To combat reduced social contact while you’re on the road and to stay in touch with loved ones, friends and fellow truckers, try using free video chat apps like Skype, Facetime (iPhone only), Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Everyone needs human contact, even if it’s through a phone or computer screen. Using one of the above apps can help you stay connected and help you feel less isolated when you’re on the road.
What are you doing to stay healthy and safe on the road? Share your tips with the trucking community on Trucker Tools’ Facebook page. Stay safe, everyone, and as always, thank you, truckers, for keeping our grocery stores, doctors’ offices and hospitals stocked and supplied during this challenging time.
