Finding Balance Between Driving and Family Time
Professional operators are in very high demand. The driving industry itself is an essential part of the economy in the United States. Almost every industry relies on professional operators to deliver goods so that they can make products or take products to the market. Without the hard work and long hours of a professional operator, the goods would never make it to their destination.
With that being said, having a professional OTR operator’s schedule can mean that you are away from your family for long periods of time. It’s important to have a healthy work-life balance between your driving career and time spent with your family. At Bender Transportation, 90% of our freight is local and home daily. We also offer Monday to Friday schedules as well. We believe in work-life balance and putting people first. It is who we are!
Here are some tips for scheduling driving and family time:
1. Be Honest and Set Realistic Expectations
A driver should be open and honest with their spouse about what to expect with a career in the trucking industry. There can be long hours of absence, which can be damaging to a family dynamic. If possible, try to focus on planning for those long hauls and scheduling around it.
2. Focus on a Schedule
Drivers can’t always control everything. Sometimes there will be minor problems or delays that may occur. However, it’s important for drivers to focus on finding the most efficient routes to increase their chances of returning on time. Remember to always make your driving schedule a normal conversation to ensure the needs of your family are being maintained.
3. Utilize Technology
Technology is a great way to stay in touch with your family and friends while you’re on the road. Technology advancements such as Skype and FaceTime make it easy to see and communicate with your loved ones.
Being A Professional Operator With A Family
Being a professional operator with a family is possible. Family time is important to everyone, so our workers are out 5 days, and home 2 days with a standard 34-hour reset at home each week. Furthermore, we keep consistent, manageable weekly work schedules and miles, which may be why our turnover rate is 1/3 of the industry average.
At Bender Transportation we do not overwork our drivers, making sure that means you have a family life. We give our drivers time to be with the people they love, and we always encourage adequate rest. In our opinion, that is the way driving jobs should be.
Driving Jobs & Safety
Safety is always our number one priority, and at Bender Transportation, we know that well-rested drivers are the safest drivers on the road. Aside from allowing for family time, our mandated days off ensure that our drivers receive the appropriate rest for the job, resulting in happier employees and safer highways. While many driving jobs push drivers to their limits, we want to ensure all of our employees are safe, healthy, and happy.
Have a question about what it is like to be a professional operator with a family?
Our drivers and owner-operators are part of a team and a people-first culture. They are not a number or just a “driver”, they are professional operators and we proactively collaborate with them to understand and help them achieve their goals. At Bender Transportation, we work to provide opportunities for our operators to be local and home daily, at times working Monday to Friday schedules.
For more information about Bender Transportation, our benefits, and our available driving positions, or if you have any questions about our services, contact us today.