But what if something does happen, regardless of what kind of shape you are in?  Would your traveling companion, if you have one that can talk, know whether or not you are allergic to anything?  What about your primary doctor’s name and phone number.  I know my blood type is red and that’s about it, but what about yours?

Worse case scenario is you are unconscious for whatever reason, have allergies, are on medications that if not taken could be life threatening and you are alone.  Do you want to leave it to chance that the EMT is going to know all your information by ESP?   Or what about being serious ill and you need to be hospitalized.  Most of us in this situation will be pretty worked up about needing hospitalization that not all the questions asked will get an accurate answer.

Having your medical records and medical care directives on hand in your truck with you would sure help the EMT’s, doctors and nurses treat you according to your wishes.  Not everyone wants to be revived and live on life support indefinitely and not everyone wants to be an organ donor.  And unless you have something in writing stating your wishes, no one will know.

There are websites that have forms to create medical records and advance directives.  One such site is nim.nih.gov/medlineplus/advancedirectives.html

This website is a joint venture of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (nim) and National Institutes of Health (nih).

Your medical records should include the following and feel free to copy the list and create your own:

• Name, birth date and social security number
• Names and phone numbers of emergency contacts
• Blood type
• Contact information for physicians, dentists and pharmacies you have recently used
• Health insurance information
• Health conditions, including dates of past surgeries and whether you have artificial joints, heart valve replacements, etc.
• Vision or dental problems, including whether you wear glasses, contacts, or dentures
• Current medications and dosages
• Allergies to drugs and/or foods
• Recent DOT physical findings
• Immunizations
• Organ donor information
• Family health history
• Tobacco or alcohol use
• Dates of any recent viruses, colds toothaches, etc.

Having this in your truck with you at all times will help in the event of any health emergency you may have.  Even if you don’t have absolutely everything completed in the above list, something is always better than nothing in cases of emergency.

Health ID tags are also a good choice for anyone having diabetes or blood thinners.  An ID tag is hard to miss by an EMT or doctor doing an examination of you.  Help make it easier for a doctor/nurse/EMT to care for you in a safe manner having life-saving information readily available.

Finding a physician or hospital away from home can be as easy as connecting to WebMD.com or call your insurance carrier, if you have insurance.  The WEbMD website also has a secure place for your medical information.  Any medical provider can also log-in at WebMD and if they know your user name are able to access your records.

Having fuel for your truck or drugs for your body should have to be a choice you are faced with.  Most drug companies have prescription assistance on their websites if you need it or call toll-free 1.888.477.2669 to Partnership for Prescription Assistance.  

Several pharmacies such as Walgreens, Target & Wal Mart have a flat $4 fee for common medications.  Visit their websites for their $4 drug list.  A prescription that I personally take is $4 a month or 3 months for $10 at Wal Mart.  And I get my prescription in a breakable tablet so my doctor wrote my prescription for twice the dosage and I can get a 3 month supply for only $7 because I cut my tablets in half for the correct dosage for me.  Yes I have prescription coverage but with a high deductible, so I’m saving money anywhere I can.  Always ask your doctor about generic drugs, FREE samples if they have them and for alternative medications that would fall into the $4 category.   Don’t forget to take your bottles of medication with you on the road in case you need a refill or for any medical emergencies.   Be smart and travel safe.

 Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

While I was web surfing the other day, I came across a website called 12V Auto Tech.  They had this handy little portable stove the size of a lunchbox called Stove To Go.  It plugs into any 12 volt receptacle and provides you, the road warrior, with some other options for quick hot meals.  Take left-overs and/or sandwiches along from home to heat up on the road.  Buy canned stews or non-refrigerated prepackaged meals to heat up or even some frozen meals.  It looked to be a pretty versatile item that didn’t take up much space either.  

The Technical Specifications are:

• Operates from any 12 volt DC power source
• Will reach and maintain cooking temperatures of 250 to 300 degrees
• 190 Watt Output during start up
• 100 Watt output during cooking
• 4 pounds
• 10.5” X 6” X 8”

This website also has an Oven To Go that can cook, bake and warm up food.  This too would plug into an 12 volt receptacle.   Another pretty handy gadget for being on the road and short on time to eat.

They also had a listing for Tools, Accessories, Radar/Laser Detectors, Lighting, Cleaning, Package Deals, Cooking, Coffee, Outdoors, Safety, Comfort, Emergency, Cell Phone Adapters, GPS Receivers and Accessories, Power inverters, Hands Free Sets and Replacement Parts.  Pretty interesting website, especially for anyone that travels or camps out.

In this day of pinching every penny until it screams, you do what you need to and can do to cut costs on the road.  Bringing food from home or shopping at home to get a better price and buying in quantity to save money on favorite foods can also help.  When you are on the road you are at the mercy of stores and restaurants that are within walking distance or have parking available for your rig, which leaves you with a limited selection and sometimes higher prices.

Life is just too fast paced and you end up running, literally, from getting unloaded to getting loaded again and hit the road.  Not much time left in there to eat.  Having the option of stopping at a wayside or parking area of some kind and heating up something to eat takes less time than looking for and stopping at a restaurant.  This can be especially true when you are under the gun to get to your next destination quickly.

Now I’m not saying don’t stop at that favorite truck stop to talk with other truckers and take a well earned break.  You need to do that too.  I’m talking about the time when you are just too rushed and you still have to eat.

An empty stomach makes it extra hard to concentrate on driving and staying focused.  Stay safe out there and take good care of yourself.  Some planning on your part before leaving home can save you money on the road.  Select food items that are single serving size so you don’t have leftovers that may need refrigeration and don’t forget about having plenty of fresh fruit on hand too.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

 Bouncing down the road day after day, driving your load to the next delivery.  This sometimes gets pretty mindless because you’ve been doing this what seems like forever.  Don’t get me wrong, the average person can’t do what you do safely day in and day out, you are a one-of-a-kind.  What I’m saying is routine sets in after a while and your mind needs some stimulus other than avoiding accidents with other crazy drivers.

After your paperwork is caught up, you’ve had a bite to eat, fueled up, taken a shower, washed cloths, and you have free time, then what.  

Do you like movies or TV programs?  How about setting up your VCR while you are gone to record movies or TV programs that you like but always miss because of being on the road.  Or ask a friend or family member to do this for you.  Then when you return home you have some new programs to take with you when on the next trip.   Bring back the old tapes to recycle for new tapes when home again.  

There are also on-line DVD’s to rent from places such as Netflix.  Pay a monthly flat fee, create your list of movies/TV programs you want to view, they ship the DVD’s to your home, watch them and mail them back from anywhere for new ones in their postage-paid envelopes.  More DVD’s get sent to you as fast as you return them.  

You can watch some TV programs off the internet on your computer for free when you have free time too.  Some of you lucky drivers may even have a satellite dish on your truck and you can view and record programs as well.

Check with other truckers to swap tapes or DVD’s of movies you don’t care to keep that you own.  Some movies are better than others and some you want to keep in your collection.  Swap DVD’s with other truckers and keep passing them around as you want.  

Do you like listening or reading books?  Subscribe for a fee to audio books on-line and download books to your computer to put on an MP3 player for listening.  There is a huge range of books to choose from.  One website comes to mind, audible.com.  I’m sure there are others too.  

Me, I prefer having a book in hand to read.  My problem is after I’ve read it then what.  Most of mine gather dust, or get put in with items to be donated someplace or I pass them along to other friends.  Some books deserve another read just because they were that good, but most times they end up gathering dust until I get around to getting rid of them.  Like the DVD’s, you can swap with other truckers for other paperback books to read.  

The same with magazines.  If you have magazines that pile up, pass them around or swap them with other truckers for something new to read.  Everyone has different tastes in reading material so give it a try and happy swapping.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Now that I have your attention and interest, BMI stands for Body Mass Index if you didn’t already know.  Anything over a BMI of 30 starts getting into the obese category and a dangerous health area.

To figure your own BMI number visit any of these or other websites and know where you are on the chart.

http://www.caloriecontrol.org/bmi.html

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.htm

http://health.discovery.com/tools/calculators/bmi/bmi.html

Everyone has heard the term BMI at some point in time.  Whether your doctor has mentioned it to you or a significant other or just saw an article while flipping through a magazine.  The body mass index is one of the most accurate ways to key into any potential health risks you may be heading for.  Being aware of your family health history is always a good idea too.  Genetics plays into your weight and physical health.

Starting at the lower end, someone with a BMI of 24 or less is considered of healthy weight.  Having a BMI of 26 to 27 is about 20% overweight with moderate health risks.  A BMI of 30+ is considered obese and increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.  Having a BMI of 30+ also increases the risk of death from any cause by 50-150%. 

A waist size of over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women is considered at especially high risk for health problems.  Being overweight slows you down and adds extra strain to your heart and joints.  And the older you get the harder it is to lose weight and the more taxing on your joints and heart.

Those people having a 26+ BMI need to be looking at getting healthier.  I know, eating healthier and getting some exercise can also be a challenge for the truck driver.  You are mostly at the mercy of where you can part your rig to eat.   Eating lean meat, some eggs, peanut butter or certain beans will help keep you full longer because protein burns slower in your body.  Carbohydrates on the other hand burn very quickly and give you a quick rush of energy and then the crash.  Fiber is also a good choice to help keep you full.  Fiber soaks up liquid and gives you a full feeling.  Having some fresh fruit and vegetables not needing refrigeration in your truck makes for a great snack along with high fiber snack bars.  Thinking about food and how hungry you are interferes with your concentration.

Be aware of what you are drinking and how many calories are in those drinks.  Sometimes you just don’t realize that that sweetened ice tea in the handy pop-top can is 86 calories for 8 oz. And I’m sure the can has more than 8 oz of ice tea, probably more like 12 oz which now brings the calorie count to 129 for the entire can.  I think you see where I’m going here.  Check labels on your favorite drinks and snacks you bring into your truck and you decide what changes you do or do not want to make.

Artificial stimulants like coffee/tea (caffein) or over the counter pills are not a healthy choice either.  Too much caffein can jack up your blood pressure and if you don’t know what your blood pressure is to begin with it could be a lethal combination.  

Getting out of the truck and moving around to get some exercise and get your blood pumping to all your extremities is important and wakes you up.  Before climbing back into your truck, take a walk around the parking lot once or twice.  Stretch your arms out over your head and bend from side to side.  You can do sit-ups in your sleeper, truck twists in your seat.  The point is to get the blood moving and help keep your body healthy and increase your rate of breathing from time to time. 

Now don’t go nuts here with starting to run around parking lots when you never did anything like this before.  Start out easy and build endurance.  

The medical website that is one of my favorites is www.webmd.com.  It has loads of info and you can run some diagnostics on yourself if you aren’t feeling the best.   Some truck stops may even have blood pressure testing machines just sitting there that you can use.  Drug stores are also a good source along with Wal-Mart’s across the country.  Every store I have been in has one sitting near their Pharmacy that is FREE to use.

The bottom line is being a trucker doesn’t have to mean you are overweight and inactive.  Taking better care of yourself for you and your family is a good investment.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

 Sound familiar?  

You are driving down the road and can’t remember when you last ate and have run out of food in the truck to eat.  Your stomach is growling and loudly telling you it’s time to get fed.  It’s like your stomach is telling you your throat has been cut.

Hey, up ahead is an All You Can Eat Buffet sign.  You probably see these signs on a pretty regular basis and may even frequent a few.  This one is different.  It looks like all the others, but it is different.  This is going to be a night you’ll never forget in more than one way.

This too sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Not all buffets are a stomach hazard, it just depends.  It depends on how clean everything looks when you first walk into the restaurant.  Take a good look around!  Does it look dirty?  Are the employees that are replenishing the buffet wearing gloves and hairnets?  

The hot food should be hot and the cold food should be cold.  Period!

The buffet should also have a hood over the top of the food.  This makes filling your plate a little more difficult but helps cut down on germs from coughing and sneezing over the food.  

The problematic foods to watch for could include, eggs, cheeses, sushi, shrimp and dressings that are mayonnaise-based or dairy-based.  Be very aware of your food choices.  Room temperature food is NOT an option.

Check over the salad bar to make sure everything looks freshly washed.  When in doubt, take a pass.  There are lots of other selections to choose from.

Always go for the well cooked meats.  And if you get a container of food to go, don’t let it sit around your cab at room temperature for more than two hours.  

Worse case is you get a the “gut rot”.  Not a pleasant thing to experience but we’ve all been there.  Some experiences are worse than others.

Some common symptoms includes:

• Abdominal cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea and eventually dehydration

Since most cases of gastroenteritis (gut rot) are viral, they will eventually run their course without antibiotics.  Vomiting and diarrhea are your bodies way of getting rid of the virus, so try to ride it out.  Taking an anti-diarrheal medication will slow things down but can also prolong that “sick” feeling. 

Be sure to stay hydrated.  Increase your fluid intake to two or three quarts a day avoiding caffeine and diet soda.  If vomiting is a problem, don’t eat solid food until you are feeling better, sip clear liquids / broth instead.

You should be seeking medical help if you have:

• Severe abdominal pain
• A temperature of 102 or higher
• Bloody stools
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Persistent dizziness or
• Vomiting and / or diarrhea for more than three days

Keep some antibacterial hand wash in the truck to help keep your hands clean.  Wash your hands after using the bathroom and before eating.  

Pack a few things in your truck for the “just in case”.  Brand names are not necessary, it’s the active ingredients that really count.

Pepto Bismol (active ingredient: bismuth) - good for heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, nausea and mild diarrhea.  No refrigeration necessary.

Imodium (active ingredient: loperamide) - This is the “big gun” for serious diarrhea.  Be aware that it slows down the intestinal contractions and can cause constipation.

Milk of Magnesia - This is for when Imodium does its job too well.  This comes in tablets too.

Maalox and / or Mylanta - Great for instantly soothing heartburn.  No refrigeration necessary and come in liquid and tablets.

Zantac (active ingredient: ranitidine) or Pepcid (active ingredient: famotidine) - Both reduce the amount of acid that is being produced by your stomach.  If you love spicy food but your stomach doesn’t, take one before you eat.  This is also good for after a round of “gut rot” to help sooth the stomach.

Gas-X (active ingredient: simethicone) - Helps relieve bloat, gas buildup and gas related cramps.

Preparation H Cooling Gel or Vaseline -   This will help sooth rectal burn from having diarrhea.  Also helps for a more comfortable ride rolling down the road.

And like a food buffet, there is a buffet of trucking software to choose from too.  If you haven’t already tries Easy Trucking Software, we invite you to give us a try.  We promise  no viruses or “gut rot”.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.