Your Total Guide to Making Your Long Haul Truck Feel Like Home

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Mar 8, 2023

Life away from home and behind the wheel of a long haul truck can feel unbelievably lonely and isolating. Long haul truck drivers can spend several days, even weeks, away from the comforts of home and loved ones. A career in trucking requires much more than just physical abilities, excellent driving skills, and the capacity to sit behind the wheel for hours at a time. This job also requires truckers to manage their mental and emotional state so they can focus on the road ahead. Truck drivers undoubtedly get homesick; it’s one of their biggest challenges! Thankfully, there are ways to cope and become accustomed to the lifestyle of being a truck driver. A key part of making life on the road work is staying in touch with loved ones; another is making your long haul truck feel like home. While space is limited, even in a sleeper cab, drivers spend many days in their trucks, so making the most of the space is key. Decking your semi out with truck accessories and pieces of home will help make life on the road so much more enjoyable and being away undoubtedly easier. Keep reading to learn more.

6 Ways You Can Make Your Long Haul Truck Feel Like Home

Making an effort to make your cab more comfortable can make a huge difference to your time away from home. Owner-operators have the luxury of customizing their cabs' entire interior and exterior. Think carpeting, permanent storage areas, paneling, and more!  While drivers who work for a company won’t have that much control over their cabs, there are still ways to personalize it, add trucker accessories, and make it feel like home. Regardless of whether you own your rig or not, here are seven ways you can make your semi feel like home:
  1. Invest in Seat Covers and Cushions — Truck drivers spend most of their time sitting in the driver’s seat, so why not make it enjoyable? Seat covers are essential for those spending hours behind the wheel since they help protect interiors from spills, dirt, and wear. Add a little personality by choosing your favorite pattern, material, and color. Seat covers and cushions can also relieve back pain and promote good driving posture. While driving down the highway, you’re sure to feel vibrations from the road which can really aggravate the neck and spine. Seat cushions and covers can help absorb the shock and support your lower and upper back. For the best experience and additional support, opt for a cushion with massage balls and memory foam. These will make your seat as comfortable as possible, making those long hours on the road bearable.
  2. Add a Mattress Pad — One of the best trucker accessories you can add to your sleeper semi is a mattress pad. For the safety of yourself and others on the road, it is essential for drivers to feel well rested, and a springy, hard mattress found in a lot of sleeper cabs won’t get you there. A comfortable mattress pad goes a long way in getting you quality rest. For additional touches of home and comfort, complete the space with your favorite bedding and pillows.
  3. Put Up Decorations — A home or apartment feels bare without decorations, and your semi truck is no different. Adding little touches of your personality by hanging photographs, posters, artwork, and more will help the space feel much more like home and a place you’re happy to be. Moreover, having pictures of your loved ones posted where you can see them regularly can help you feel less lonely. Not an owner-operator? That’s okay! Using tape is always fine, but if you want something more substantial, there are other options. Thanks to renter-friendly materials like Command strips and hooks, you can easily make the truck you are driving feel like home without causing any permanent damage. You can also place personal knickknacks on the dash for you to see.
  4. Utilize Textiles in Your Truck — Personalize your cab with window shades, curtains, and small area rugs. Little details like window coverings and rugs go a long way in making a space feel more comfortable and like home. These textiles help bring your space together and provide an added layer of privacy when you are unwinding or sleeping in the back.
  5. Add Small Kitchen Appliances — Life on the road often means frequent visits to truck stops and eating out frequently. Not only does this add up financially, but it can also affect your health. Adding a mini-fridge microwave, toaster, and single-serve coffee maker will allow you to be much more efficient and keep healthy meals, snacks, and drinks on hand.
  6. Entertainment Options — Entertainment is key to an enjoyable time while you’re away from home. Listening to your favorite podcasts, music, or audiobooks will help the time pass while you’re behind the wheel. When you aren’t driving, having a TV in a truck is incredibly convenient (and homey). But how do drivers watch TV in a truck on the road? EpicVue– the best of the best trucker accessories.

Watch TV in Your Long Haul Truck With EpicVue!

Every long haul truck driver needs a piece of home while they’re away from home, and EpicVue is the best way to help your driver unwind and feel comfortable on the road. Life behind the wheel often leaves truck drivers feeling lonely, but watching TV while on a long haul can help counteract those heavy feelings. TV watching is the perfect way for drivers to relax during their mandatory downtime in the comfort of their trucks.  EpicVue offers truck drivers TV in a truck and premium in-cab streaming so they can watch their favorite shows while on the road. EpicVue makes the comforts of home available and the ability to stay connected, regardless of where you are!  Drivers with access to TV watching during their rest and recovery time are much happier and healthier, making them more likely to stay with their fleet. The benefits that EpicVue brings are well worth the small investment. Contact the EpicVue team today to learn more.

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Life as a truck driver can be challenging, but sleeper trucks can make the long shifts and countless hours away from loved ones easier. Undoubtedly, a truck driver’s long haul is lonely and difficult. Being away from friends and family for days or weeks can feel isolating, and maybe even a sentence to solitary confinement. And with the intense pressure to meet deadlines while fighting traffic, it’s no wonder truck drivers are exhausted when the time comes to fulfill their mandatory rest and recovery time. Drivers need to find a way to unwind and unplug from the stresses of their days, and what better way than sleeper trucks? And why not take it even further: a TV in semi-trucks. Watching TV at home is just about everyone’s favorite way to relax and disconnect, so why not enjoy those comforts on the road right from your sleeper truck? Want to learn more about what you can expect with TVs in sleeper trucks? Keep scrolling below.

What is a Sleeper Cab Truck?

Sleeper trucks are tractor units with an extended cabin with an attached sleeping compartment behind the driver’s and passenger’s seats. These truck cabs are used by long-haul drivers delivering loads that cannot be delivered in one shift because of various laws. These laws are set in place for safety and personal function. Drivers must take a 10-hour sleeping period. Unlike other vehicles, sleeper trucks are heavy-duty trucks that must be handled by expert truck drivers with special driver's licenses. These drivers are responsible for safely operating a commercial vehicle to transport the shipment of products we use every day. A sleeper cab truck also allows truckers to be on the road for many days or weeks. They can even accommodate team drivers, where one person is driving while the other is resting or sleeping. This way, the truck can continue moving and making delivery progress while someone rests.

Do All Semi Truck Cabs Have Sleepers?

No, not all semi-trucks have sleeping berths. Decades ago, there were only day cab trucks. Because of the need to transport large, heavy loads for long distances – sometimes across the entire country – heavy-duty semi trucks were made. Without a sleeper cab, drivers had to sleep in a hotel or upright in their trucks. Day cab semis may get better gas mileage, but there’s something to say about a sleeper truck that you can make your own. It’s like a home on wheels and comes with many perks. Of course, one cabin can vary from the next; however, here are some of the common amenities truckers can enjoy in a sleeper truck:

Watching TV in Sleeper Trucks

It wasn’t that many years ago that watching TV on the road, let alone TV in semi trucks, was even possible. Now, there are several different ways truck drivers can watch TV and consume other content while they’re away on the road. The drivers of years past may have preferred to watch TV shows and movies offline, utilizing DVDs and a DVD player.  While effective, this method requires buying movies to add to your collection over time. With this comes a few obstacles: first, buying movies can become costly. Second, DVDs can take up valuable space in a truck cab, where space is already limited. And third, many new releases are not readily available on DVD. Nowadays, most truck drivers have graduated from DVDs and are looking to consume content a bit more easily. Streaming their favorite shows and movies is an excellent option and is considerably more convenient for those living a significant portion of their life behind the wheel. That’s where EpicVue comes in.

Want to Watch TV From Your Sleeper Trucks? EpicVue Can Help!

Watching TV from the comfort of sleeper trucks to make various aspects of life on the road is made easy with EpicVue! Watching TV during those long hauls right from the comfort of your sleeper cab truck is a great way to counteract those heavy feelings of loneliness and isolation. TV in Semi trucks is the perfect way for truck drivers to relax and unwind during mandatory downtime. EpicVue specializes in outfitting semi trucks with premium in-cab televisions to make streaming easy. EpicVue allows your team to kick back and watch TV on the road. This gesture is meant to create appreciation, commitment, and loyalty between drivers and their fleets.  Moreover, happy and healthy truckers are much more likely to stay with a fleet, which significantly reduces the tedious and costly cycle of recruitment and retention.  Not part of a fleet? Not a problem! Owner-operators can enjoy the benefits of EpicVue, too! With virtually countless viewing and content options, truck drivers are sure to find something they want to watch, regardless of their preferences. Contact the team at EpicVue today to learn more.