Work-Life Balance 2025 For Truck Drivers

Mar 26, 2025

Work-Life Balance 2025 For Truck Drivers

Work Life Balance, that was what everyone is looking for in the trucking industry. The search has been going on since I got into the industry back in the Eighties. In fact when I started in the moving industry in my late teens work-life balance meant either working or looking for work. As a mover in the Summer you could move two or three homes in a day and never get a day off from April to October, then from November to March you would be searching for work. I remember working with my Dad in those off months in his accounting firm helping him file and sort books, yuck! Most owner operators back then would just shut down their trucks for the Winter and not even start them up. The only drivers working were hauling trade show products and back in the Eighties those were few and far between. That is one of the reasons I moved to the freight side of the industry to even out that work-life balance and have a steadier income all year long. 

"You're Going to Florida Anyway, She Says!"

The freight side of the industry was steadier as far as freight goes but any driver will tell you that it still comes with challenges as far home time is concerned. Many times you hire on with a carrier and for most that meant signing on to the open board. Open Board for many companies means you haul freight to any destination that Dispatch sends you too. “Heads Carolina, Tails California!” That was the decision making back in the day and if you didn’t go the chances of being unemployed grew dramatically. That is why building character and proving yourself became a goal for many drivers because it gave you a chance of a dedicated run allowing you to do the same thing every week so you know what home time you would have. You could actually plan a barbecue and be there. 

Today the way you apply for jobs at carriers is vastly different! For smaller companies hiring on to an open board may still be a thing but even smaller companies are sticking to certain lanes where they know they have steady freight or contracts. In my case I signed onto a carrier that only ran in a certain area allowing me to move around within those areas. I now see carriers hiring based on the run itself and this is quite different from what I have seen in the past. For instance if a carrier has a cross border run from Mississauga Ontario to Chicago, then that is what you will do and be hired for as an employee. To drive outside of that may require you to apply within the company for another run, much like applying for an internal job posting. 

In the industry for many years we have been saying that it is important for drivers to know what type of work they want to do as a driver. Mostly so they can decide where they fit in the industry and can focus their career goals to be the most effective in the industry. In 2025 you need to know that before you apply for the job. We will be covering much of this on the podcast to help you understand the new way of applying for jobs in 2025. As carriers get more streamlined and use technology to their advantage it makes applicants be more precise in the work-life balance they want. Enjoy the podcast and good luck with the job search. 

About the Author

Bruce Outridge has been in the trucking industry for over 40 years. With 25 years behind the wheel across North America and now covering the industry through Lead Pedal Media he has many insights as to the state of today's trucking industry and offers tips through his podcast on how to have a good career in trucking. You can learn more about Bruce and his work at www.BruceOutridge.com 

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