For most people, Thanksgiving means a long table, a full house and a nap on the couch. For a lot of truck drivers, it means a fuel island, a delivery window and a phone call home from the sleeper. Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Monday, October 12 this year, and the U.S. holiday is Thursday, November 26. Either way, plenty of drivers will be on the road while the turkey's in the oven.
Being away doesn't mean the day has to slip by. Here's how drivers make Thanksgiving count from the cab.
Plan the call before the day
Holiday schedules at home are chaos, and so is traffic on holiday weekends. Pick a time with your family ahead of time, ideally when you're parked for your break and they're sitting down to eat. A video call from the cab during dinner lets you see the table, hear the noise and be part of it for a few minutes, even from 1,000 miles away.
Find a real holiday meal
Many truck stops and diners along major routes serve a full turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, often at a reasonable price for drivers. Call ahead or check the stop's app the week before, because holiday hours change. If you're going to be somewhere remote, plan for it: a pre-cooked turkey dinner from a grocery store heats up fine in a cab microwave or slow cooker.
Bring a little of home with you
- Ask your family to pack a container of leftovers from an early celebration before you head out.
- Keep a favourite dessert or treat in the cab fridge just for the day.
- Have the kids draw something or write a note you open on the holiday.
- Put on the game, the parade or a holiday playlist during your break.
Celebrate early or late, and make it count
Plenty of trucking families move the holiday. Thanksgiving on the weekend before or after your run is still Thanksgiving. What matters is that everyone's around the same table, not the date on the calendar.
Look out for the other drivers
If you're parked at a truck stop on the holiday, you won't be the only one away from home. A "Happy Thanksgiving" at the counter, splitting a pie with the driver next door, or joining a holiday meal a stop puts on for drivers can turn a lonely day into a good one.
Stay safe on holiday roads
Holiday weekends bring heavy four-wheeler traffic, tired drivers and, in October and November, the first ice and snow of the season. Leave extra following distance, plan your parking early because spots fill fast, and don't let a holiday rush push you past your hours. The best gift you can give your family is getting home safe.
Thank you
Every holiday table across North America is full because drivers showed up. To everyone hauling this Thanksgiving: thank you. If you bought it, we brought it.
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