A trucker’s schedule can be sporadic, and being home for the holidays may not fit in the books every year. The festivities that bring us home come around in November and December, but for some truckers, the road is their home, and they don’t have families to return to. For others, spending holidays on the road can happen, and there are ways to help ease the blues. Being away for the holidays is never easy, even if you can find ways to cope. The sacrifices truckers make to ensure goods are flowing should be recognized, so thank a trucker whenever you see one, especially during the holidays, because they wouldn’t be what they are without them.

Plan for a Holiday on the Road

If you know ahead of time that you’ll have to be working for an important holiday, plan as many things as possible to make it easier for everyone when those festive dates start rolling out. Truckers who split their time between home and the road may find themselves working the month of December, returning home after Christmas. If Christmas is essential to your family, plan for it before you leave. These days Christmas decorations are displayed even before Halloween. Before leaving for work:

• Go Christmas shopping early with your family.
• Pick out ornaments.
• Order a tree.
• Get matching sweaters and pajamas.
• Play out as many Christmas traditions as possible while you’re still together.

If you already have a tree, decorate it together, even if it’s the beginning of November; make your own rules. When you hit the road, bring all your matching gear, and wear it when the rest of the family does.

Make your own rules and celebrate early—exchange gifts before you leave and take your presents on the road with you for nostalgia. If shopping for a trucker seems complicated, check out the 10 best holiday gifts for truckers to help them cope with time on the road. The holidays are about traditions, celebrating old ones, and making new ones with your family; you decide the rules for the new ones.

Holidays on the Road Made Easier with Technology

When COVID shut down everything in 2020, everyone turned to technology to reach out to family members when visiting wasn’t possible. Parties, dinners, and Birthdays were all celebrated over ZOOM video calls, trying to fit in as much joy as possible into your computer screen. When visiting each other was allowed again, zoom, facetime, and other video calling services were still popular when getting together wasn’t possible. For truckers, checking in with family members through video calls makes being away a little less taxing. Technology also allows us to send last-minute gifts to loved ones if you didn’t plan or can’t wait until you get home. With faster delivery times than ever, gifts can arrive within days sometimes, easing the stress of “I forgot to get a gift.”

Truckers Can Find Holiday Cheer on the Road

Working during those special festive dates that roll around yearly can be taxing on anyone. Truckers spend a lot of time on the road, and sometimes that time may intersect with important dates making dealing with homesickness more difficult than usual. When the holiday blues hit while you’re on the road, finding places in the spirit can bring joy even when you are thousands of miles away from loved ones. Luckily, cheer can be found everywhere during the holidays, with decorations and lights all around. Although it would never make up for the real thing, finding where to spend Christmas away from home can make things easier. Many truck stops and diners also offer special meals during the holidays to bring travelers back to traditions even while at work. Some Pilot Truck Stop locations provide special holiday meals to curb those festive food cravings. Other truck stops are also bringing the cheer, doing their best to welcome truckers working during the holidays.

Whatever ways exist to make working for the holidays more bearable, it’s never easy. Thank you to truckers and those who must be away during these special days.