Stress: Time

Time is the element we all share as commercial drivers. Will we get the freight there on time? Do we have enough time to get there? Can we make up some time? Can we save some time? It's very easy to become a clock watcher in this business.

This morning I watched my EOBR click past the 8 hour mark giving me back time to drive again. My first thought was I should not have taken that extra 15 minutes this morning to nap a little longer even though I know I needed a little more sleep. It all gets just a little bit ridiculous after a while. The extra 15 minutes was worth it as far as I'm concerned.

I've learned not to pay too much attention to clocks and watches in this business. Efficiency is in the planning and execution not in how fast you can get down the road. I know my average speed getting through Ontario is somewhere between 87 and 89 kph. That is a reality I cannot change.

But there is a hugest conflict between the time that's required to get the job done and the time that is required to look after ourselves and our families. Time is our business. After all, we are in the business of delivering freight in a timely manner. So it comes as no surprise that time is the major stress factor in a drivers daily life. It is not without irony that few of us take the time to deal with this topic.