You’re on the road again, and as much as you love your job, you’d like to have a personal life, too. Much of your day is spent behind the wheel and at your hotel, which doesn’t leave you too much time outside of work to enjoy life.
Still, picking up a hobby you can do on the job could make the time go quicker.
But hobbies (and anything that takes your attention from the road) aren’t usually tied to truck driving. So, how can you mix business and pleasure while you’re trucking?
The solution could be right here in this list of fun hobbies for truck drivers.
1. Find Your Favorite Podcast
Podcasts started as a random way to spread information and became an almost endless encyclopedia of trivia, entertainment, and knowledge. With over 2.5 million active podcasts available at any given time, and tens of millions of episodes to listen to, you’re sure to find something that interests you.
If you’ve always wanted to learn about the history of Egypt, there’s a podcast for that. Maybe exploring the lifestyles of the rich and famous is more your style. There’s a podcast for that, too.
Do a quick search for podcasts about things that interest you and add them to your favorite streaming service. Then, absorb the knowledge or listen to the entertainment on the road.
Once you get familiar with what a podcast does, you might even decide to start one yourself and tell the world about what goes on in the life of a trucker!
2. Learn About Photography
Let’s face it. As a trucker, you get to see things most people can only put on their bucket lists. How many times have you driven past scenery so breathtaking that you “clicked” it into your mind and tried to remember it forever?
Instead of relying on your photographic memory, why not take up photography and use your skills behind a camera to share the moment?
While you’re at your hotel, watch some YouTube tutorials or take an online class to teach you the basics and grow from there. You can use your smartphone to try to capture the views or invest in a better-quality camera to carry with you on your trips.
As you build your collection of photos, you can share them with your social media audience or try to sell them on amateur photography sites. Eventually, your side gig could turn into your full-time job.
3. Pick Up a Few New Languages
Have you ever wished you could speak or understand another language? Does your job put you in contact with people who don’t have English as their native tongue?
You have plenty of time on your hands between stops to learn a new language and a wide variety of apps to choose from.
Check out the free trial features on a few different apps. Look for the one that matches your learning style best, and get a paid subscription. You could use the free ones, but when you pay for something, like a gym membership, you’re more likely to use it. Some of the more popular language apps include:
- Duolingo (which has some hands-on features)
- Busuu
- Babbel
- FluentU
Sure, you could use the “translate” app on your phone, but where’s the fun in that? Pick up a few common phrases and amaze the other person in your conversation by showing them you’re trying to learn to speak their native language.
Start with the languages you’re most likely to use in your line of work. Then, when you become proficient at that, move on to languages you have an interest in, even if you’ll probably never use them in a conversation.
4. Whoa, Listen to the Music
The Doobie Brothers had the best instructions ever, telling us to “listen to the music.” If you’ve never heard of them, then this could be the hobby that helps you expand your musical tastes.
Decades of music are available for you to listen to and learn how to “Name That Tune.” Turn off your preconceived conceptions and choose a random playlist on your music app. You might fall in love with a new genre and find a band or singer that you want to learn more about.
Conclusion
Finding a hobby you can do while driving may be challenging but not impossible. You can do a job that most people can’t handle; you can surely conquer this task.
Check out these four hobbies and get started on one today. Your next passion is waiting!