1. Eat healthy. When you're trucking over America's roadways, you are limited in you meal choices. I have read that the #1 dinner meal served at truck stops is the chicken fried steak. If you're trying for a healthier diet, try to avoid that dinner. Opt for the salad bar and choose a low-fat dressing or try just using vinegar if the taste appeals to you. Choose grilled (not fried) chicken or fish with steamed vegetables as a side. In an ideal trucking world, you should look into getting a small refrigerator in your truck and stop often at local grocery stores to stock up on fruits and vegetables. You can use a plug-in cooler (truck stops sell them, as well as stores like Wal-Mart) but they do not stay as cold as an actual refrigerator, so dairy and other items that require cold temperatures will go bad faster. We know of drivers who removed a shelving unit in their company truck and purchased an actual freezer that was about 3 feet tall. They bought a 1,500 watt inverter to power the freezer and a small microwave to heat up the frozen food. They stocked up on low-fat, frozen dinners. When they were at home they cooked chicken and browned ground beef to keep in the freezer. Using a crock pot or the Burton stove, they could use canned beans or broths to make "homemade" chili or low-fat Chicken and dumplings (using canned bread dough for the dumplings).

2. Get into an exercise routine. Exercise increases your metabolism and releases "feel good" chemicals into your bloodstream. Trucking is a sedentary job- meaning, truckers sit around a lot. They sit when they drive. They sit when they go into the drivers lounge at the truck stop. They sit when they eat. It's easy to let yourself get into a routine that doesn't include exercise. You've got to get into the habit. You can use a tv/vcr combo or a dvd player and get some exercise tapes- you will have to modify the aerobic or yoga routines for the space in your truck, but something is better than nothing. You can use a jump rope or take a few laps around the truck stop before you start driving for the day. You don't need to be a runner; a brisk walk will do the job. Believe me, after a few weeks, you'll feel better and healthier.

3. Take a break. Try to take some "you" time every day. Read a pleasant book (try to stay away from emotionally charged or depressing stories) or watch a movie. Find a hobby you can take with you on the road- learn to play the harmonica or the banjo, take up bird watching. Collect digital photographs of the tourist attractions you pass-try to visit them if you can get the truck in there. Get a software program-a game or learning software-for your laptop if you have one.

4. Look at the lighter side of things. Trucking will stress you out if you let it. Try to enjoy yourself instead of getting worked up about things that go on. Make a list of the things that happen to you. If a four-wheeler flips you the bird, don't try to chase him down and "teach him a lesson." Instead, mark it on your list and laugh about it. If you're driving in heavy traffic, make it your goal to count how many times you see a four-wheeler cut somebody off. If you are waiting in a backup caused by an accident, kick back, put your feet up and enjoy some good tunes on the radio. You can get angry or you can get a kick out of it. The choice is up to you, but in the long haul, you'll be a lot happier if you get a kick out of it.

5. Be nice to your dispatcher. Some dispatchers are nice, competent and courteous. Others are jerks and know-it-all idiots. Whatever type you have, try to be friendly. If you have a nice and/or competent dispatcher, appreciate him or her. If you have the other kind, prepare yourself ahead of time so his or her antics won't take you by surprise. You don't have to lower yourself to the level of a dimwit in order to deal with a dimwit. If you have a bad dispatcher, imagine him or her as a chimpanzee wearing a diaper and banging on a pot with a wooden spoon. Images like that ought to make you laugh when you get off the phone instead of wanting to punch someone.

6. Talk to other truckers but don't let their talk get you down. Truckers can be terrible whiners. It seems any time you get a group of truckers together, someone is bound to complaining. There are plenty of over-the-road drivers who have a positive outlook, though. Try to find that type of driver to talk with. Don't get caught up in what I call "sitting on the porch." I worked for a company that had a nice porch outside the drivers lounge and drivers would sit around talking. All too often the talk turned sour and it seemed the more I sat on the porch, the worse my outlook on my job and my life became. I made a conscious effort to refrain from sitting on the porch, and I was a lot happier because of it. But the same thing happens on the cb radio. When the trucker-tales start to get a little too tall, turn off the cb and find some good music to listen to.

7. Keep your paperwork in order. Logbooks, freight bills, toll receipts... they can be overwhelming. But it's worse if you get behind. Be sure to keep your logbook up to date and plan ahead if you think you will be pressed for on-duty time. You never know when the DOT man at a weigh station is going to pick your truck for a paperwork check. This isn't a problem if you have things in order, but if your logbook is sloppy and your paperwork is disorganized, or if it takes you a long time to get it together before going inside, the DOT man is more likely to take a closer look. And that means he's more likely to find something wrong...

Try to keep your bills and logs neat. If you have a laptop, try the new software for computerized logbooks- they figure out all the details for you and tell you when you are out of hours- without you having to figure it out. Keep your dash clear of clutter, decide where you things belong and keep them there. You'll find that you waste less time looking for things when you know where they are to begin with.

All-in-all, trucking is an enjoyable job. People from all walks of life become truckers and a lot of people who don't ever get into trucking wish they had. These few tips can make the difference between a job you enjoy and a job you merely endure.