Haulage work is often associated with long, unpredictable hours, late nights, lots of travelling and being away from home for extended periods of time. It goes without saying that this isn’t great for those who want to spend time with their families. However, this picture of haulage work is a bit misleading. There are certainly ways of creating a healthier balance between your professional and home life, ensuring that you get the best of both worlds. With these top tips, you won’t miss out on providing for your family or on spending quality time with them.
Keep It Local
One way to make sure that you can be home in time to put the kids to bed is to keep your jobs centred around your local area. This not only means that you will be able to sleep in your own bed more often, but also ensures that you can be available in case of an emergency, allowing you to prioritise the wellbeing of your loved ones. Although it might seem difficult to restrict your haulage work in this way, it is possible to take control of your professional life. Set your goals and work towards them!
Find Your Routes
If you can’t find enough jobs in the local area straightaway, don’t worry! A great way to achieve a fantastic work-life balance is to opt for predictable driving routes. You might be driving longer distances, but if you are driving the same routes every week, your family will have peace of mind knowing where you are, and you will be able to give reliable estimates of when you will be back with them. You don’t have to settle for irregular and unpredictable driving schedules if seeing your loved ones is a priority for you.
Ask for Help!
Many people feel that they need to do everything themselves, but as the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. You should never be ashamed if you need to ask for a little help. Surround yourself with good friends and family, and they will be happy to help you out when you need emergency childcare, or want a babysitter so that you can spend quality time with your spouse. Just pay them back with a drink at the pub or a freshly mowed lawn!
Could You Become Self-Employed?
If you are experienced in haulage work, becoming self-employed is something you should seriously consider. It is not a step that you can take lightly, as it is an expensive and risky option. However, it could pay off, which would then leave you with the freedom to organise your schedule around your family. You can take time off for children’s birthdays or school plays and put in more hours when they are away on school trips or visiting friends.
Make the Most of Modern Technology
You may not be able to witness every important moment in your child’s life, but you can use modern technology, such as FaceTime and Skype, to keep in contact with your family and let them know how special they are to you. Don’t beat yourself up about missing out on the odd assembly, but take a break from haulage, work on building those important bonds and make sure that you’re there for the weddings, graduations and anniversaries.
Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage work with available drivers. Over 5,000 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.
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