How Long is Truck Driver Vacation Time

If you’ve ever been wondering “how long is truck driver vacation time?”, we’ve got the answer for you. Along with income, job stability and barriers for entry, a major consideration for anybody looking to embark on a new career in 2021 is the work/life balance which can be expected. Often with 9-5 schedules, this is pretty clear, but truck driver vacation time remains shrouded in mystery to anybody outside of the industry, looking to get into it. Typically a driver can expect two weeks of vacation after their first year, and an increase in days with each passing twelve-month period. Before embarking on a training course or looking into the steps to become a Class A CDL holder, a lot of people looking for lucrative new job opportunities are keen to establish exactly how many days they’d be spending behind the wheel, and how many days they can look forward to spending at home or on vacation with their families. 

Truck Driver Vacation Time: What You Can Expect 

As with any job, vacation time for truck drivers is going to depend to some extent on the employer and their approach. Newly qualified drivers from a well-respected driving school that has fostered long term relationships with the industry can expect a good amount of choice in who they drive for. Everybody from small, regional operations to nationwide logistics companies with thousands of drivers clocking millions of miles is looking for ambitious and hardworking drivers who can start immediately and aren’t afraid of hard work. The job is by nature fairly solitary, and if you’re a long haul truck driver, you could be away from home for days at a time. That said, an increasing percentage of truck drivers have families, and dispatchers and managers are more excited than ever that their teams are comfortable with their work-life balance. 

Although the law dictates that for every 70 hours on the road, truck drivers are obliged to take 34 off, the schedule often means that you’ll be spending your ‘downtime’ in a remote town, maybe on the opposite side of the country from your family and friends. However, if you do find that you have some downtime on the road, check out these must see destinations. It should also be noted that in the trucking industry, it is rare that time on and off the clock matches up to national holidays or even weekends. Depending on the company you end up working for, the chances are that you’ll be hauling the essential items that keep the country running. Hauling during the holiday season can be a particularly busy time, when America needs a vast quantity of goods. You can expect your schedule to move in line with the commercial haulage schedule, so predicting when your time off will fall is an art, rather than a science. 

How to Take Advantage of your Truck Driver Vacation Time

Make Your Breaks Count

Given that you’re obliged to take a 34-hour break at the end of every 70 hour stint,  drivers of commercial trucks can expect a decent amount of time off the clock every week. Although it can be hard to control, or even predict where these will end up being, if you’re flexible about your leisure time, you can really maximize your 34 hour rest periods. Outdoor enthusiasts can use their time to hike, mountain bike, or fish, stowing their gear into the cab, and taking advantage of the scenery in their given rest stop. Many truck drivers return to their cab refreshed and focused after a long day spent trekking the mountains or fishing a remote river. Alternatively, 34 hours in a city like Las Vegas, Seattle, New Orleans or Chicago is something a lot of people have to save up for and plan in advance, whereas for truckers it can be a regular experience that comes free with the job.

Eat Healthy

Trucking can be difficult on your physical health due to the lack of movement and long hours. Eating healthy during your time off is of the utmost importance if you want to get back in your rig in tip top shape. It can be easy to stray to fast food places when you’re on the road as they’re a quick, convenient, and easy solution. However, when you’re on vacation, it’s imperative to eat right and stay in shape so you’ll be back on the road refreshed and ready to continue hauling goods across the country. Some healthy eating tips to practice are to make sure you are eating enough fiber, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, cutting down on saturated fat and sugar, eating less salt, and being active for 30-60 minutes a day. Making sure you also drink at least 8 glasses of water to avoid dehydration. 

Truck Driver Vacation Time Demystified

Truck driving is an essential job that keeps the nation stocked up in everything from construction materials to essential healthcare products, and without it most industries would simply fail. The work itself is physically demanding and can be extremely dangerous if drivers aren’t well-rested. Taking time off can improve your physical health as well as your mental health.  That said, there is a degree of flexibility built-in, and as with any job, your time off depends on the human factor. Build up a good rapport with your dispatcher or fleet manager and you’ll probably see your requests granted more readily. 

On the Road to Your Vacation

The Truck Driver Institute opened its doors in 1973 and since then has trained thousands of Class A and Class B CDL drivers. As a well-respected and consummate professional training center,  the Truck Driver Institute enjoys a great reputation as the best place to get your CDL. Our drivers train in one of our eleven multi-acre sites and can look forward to a long and illustrious career. Get in touch today to see about booking a course, and be fully accredited and earning out on the road in just a few weeks.