Logan Voss
Commercial truck drivers spend long hours behind the wheel of a semi-truck, which can take a toll on their posture and comfort. As a truck driver, you might be wondering what you can do to make your hauls more comfortable. Keep reading to discover some tips for staying comfortable on long commercial truck drives.
Practice Good Posture
Knowing and practicing proper posture during a commercial haul is crucial for truck drivers. Using proper posture has several benefits, such as preventing back and neck pain, promoting good blood circulation, reducing stress on muscles, and more. Some best practices for driving posture include keeping your feet flat on the floor when not pushing the pedals, avoiding crossing your legs, relaxing your shoulders, and keeping your knees at or below hip level. Try to maintain these positions over the course of your trip and regularly take breaks to stretch and rest.
Know the Best Seat Position
Just like keeping good posture, knowing the proper seat positions for your truck has many benefits for your driving health. Keeping the proper seat position will also go a long way toward helping you maintain good posture during your drive. Adjusting your seat to the right angle, height, and length can keep you comfortable and support good posture. For example, you’ll want to adjust the angle of your seat to support your entire back. This will prevent pressure from building along areas of your back that don’t have seat support. Make sure that your headrest is in line with the top of your head; this is important for your comfort and safety in the event of an accident. Your seat should also be at a comfortable height and distance from the steering wheel to prevent straining.
Upgrade Your Seat Cushions
Finally, the condition of the driver’s seat in your commercial vehicle can also impact the comfort of your overall ride. In fact, there are even specialty commercial truck seats that promote comfortable seating for long rides. If your commercial truck’s seats are starting to sink, tear, or look a bit worn, it might be time to replace them, especially if your posture is starting to suffer from it.
Being uncomfortable behind the wheel can lead to poor driving and driver health. Make sure to take care of yourself while driving by practicing these tips for staying comfortable on long commercial truck drives.
