Ways to Pass the Time While in Your Cab

In the old days of trucking, whatever AM (and later FM) radio station came in was what drivers would listen to as they crisscrossed America.

So, if you were a Country music fan and there was a local station broadcasting Hank Williams and Loretta Lynn tunes you were in luck. Or maybe you’d catch the tail end of a talk show that kept you awake late at night.

These days, however, technology has changed truckers’ lives. With a smartphone, a trucker can download podcasts and/or their favorite music so they get to listen to what they want when they want wherever they want– it’s pretty great.

There’s an “app” called “TuneIn” which basically brings the world to your fingertips– you can type anything in the search box and chances are you’ll discover that it’s available to listen to…like George Carlin comedy routines for instance or hard rock songs from Ozzy Osbourne. Smartphones also allow you to directly download stuff to your phone so that you don’t have to be in range of a signal– the download gets stored in your phone so that you can listen to “the Howard Stern Show” or other shows and songs when you’re in those out of the way places where you can’t get a proper WiFi signal.

Rather than relying on radio stations in random places, using your smartphone to essentially “program” your own drive time entertainment can truly help you pass the time on the road. No one wants to be constantly searching for a song or talk show that appeals to them when they’re driving, and with radio you don’t always know what you’ll get or when the signal will fade. Therefore, when you’ve got some downtime, customize your “playlist” on your phone and try it out as a new companion on your next trip. Podcasts and downloaded music that you personally choose can make your workdays more enjoyable.