Plaza 23 Truck Stop / Service

A new sight on America’s highways: On 18-wheelers, we’re beginning to see bicycles

Truckers now have an alternative to sitting around a truck stop — a movement to encourage them to ride bikes as an antidote to their sedentary life is gaining speed.

Story from Living on Earth. Listen to audio for full report.

Scott Grenerth owns and operates an 18-wheeler, which he drives cross-country hauling thousands of pounds of cargo. His truck also carries something lightweight, which most truckers don’t carry: a bike.

For three years now, Grenerth has been putting on the spandex and riding his bike over the 34-hour breaks he gets during his long routes.

“I like to find the unique local places,” Grenerth says, “historical sites, great blues music, or some good, local microbrew if I’ve got enough time off and definitely, definitely food. It’s definitely different than just sitting around at the truck stop and complaining. Which, unfortunately, you do find a lot of drivers that do that, and they just don’t think about getting out of the cab of the truck and leaving the truck stop behind.”

Grenerth has become and evangelist for the trucker-biker, and has launched a website, rideandroll.me, as a resource for other truckers who want to give bikes a go. The site has a Google map, showing truckers legal places to park their rigs near good biking areas. There’s also a Facebook group where members share information about routes and equipment.

The community is active, says Grenerth, and reaction from other truckers has been positive. “They immediately go, ‘You know, that would be great — to get away from the truck stop, and that would be some exercise,’ because it’s low impact. And that’s what a lot of drivers need because they’re in poor shape to begin with — it’s not like they can just start, you know, running marathons.”

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Hosted by Steve Curwood, “Living on Earth” is an award-winning environmental news program that delves into the leading issues affecting the world we inhabit. 

Original Story can be found here.

The Albany County Rail Trail is just a mile south of Plaza 23 Truck Stop on the Port of Albany, NY. Check out the map.

Author: Owen Jones

The majority of people have trouble finding time to work out,
but if your job means sitting down to do your work, it can be
even more difficult to find the enthusiasm to exercise. Truck
drivers fall into this category. Sitting all day behind a wheel
can lead to several common issues linked with the job.

These include back problems, circulation problems, heart
problems and weight problems. After having driven all day, one
of the last things a driver wants to do is go looking for a gym.
However, there are a few things that truck drivers can do in
order to alleviate some of these potential problems.

When you park up to eat, stop away from the building and walk
the rest of the way. Also when you take your rests, do not just
sit in the cab and read the paper, go for a walk. Walk whenever
you get the opportunity. The short distances will add up, as any
doctor will tell you, any exercise is better than none.

Be sure to wear supportive footwear. You are climbing in and out
of the cab and the trailer or jumping down from the rig
throughout the day, so it is easy to stumble and twist an ankle
unless you are wearing boots that bolster your ankles.

You could get some exercise equipment such as a mini dumbbell
for arm exercises. You will find time to use the dumbbell while
you are waiting for some administrator to sign your paperwork.
One of the modern chest expanders can be used in confined spaces
as well. Even squeezing a tennis ball helps to keep the blood
going around.

It is essential to get the amount of sleep that your body
requires. This differs from person to person, but there are
legal requirements to rest. Make sure that you abide by these
breaks and that your mattress and pillow are comfortable enough
for you to sleep if you want to.

Having a small refrigerator or cool box is a good idea for
keeping fruit, bread and other items palatable; just do not fill
it up with pies, pastries and cakes. It is far better to graze,
if your body does not need a lot of energy to do a job. It is
far better to eat throughout the day than to eat a large meal at
night.

Make certain that you use your days off to do some bending and
stretching. Swimming is very good for most of the muscles and
internal organs in your body. So is walking. Gardening is a
fantastic way of staying in shape as well. It is not essential
to go to a gym, that is modern propaganda. Nobody went to gyms
before and there have always been driving jobs and office jobs.

The secret is that there was no TV back then and people were
more active. They walked and they worked in the garden or on the
allotment growing potatoes and other supplements for their
income. That is what people do not do now.

About the author:
Owen Jones, the author of the article writes on various topics,
but is presently involved with LED automotive lights. If you would like to know more, please go
to our website at Escort 8500.

Author: Damon King

Driving a truck for eight hours a day does not leave much time
for physical fitness. In fact, most truck drivers are renowned
for bad eating habits and being obese. This is mostly because of
their profession. Truckers often drive for seven days a week
across the country and spend as much time on the road as
possible. This means that they often rely on fast food that is
greasy and fattening. Even if the trucker eats low calorie or
low fat, the inactivity of being the truck cab for hours at a
time does not allow the body to metabolize calories consumed.

There are many things a truck driver can do to help themselves
from gaining weight while driving on the road. Since they keep
meticulous schedules they do not have the free time that a
normal nine to five worker does; normal eating habits, exercise
routines, and even grooming habits must conform to time
constraints. Here are some suggestions that drivers can do to
lose weight: * Rest stop areas are good places to get the heart
pumping. This is important to jump start the metabolism. Job
from the truck to the rest area doors. Jog all the way back to
the truck. This works great when truckers are taking short
bathroom stops. Jogging will help with weight loss for truck
drivers and will even help to loosen up the legs and tendons
that may be stiff from riding. Good circulation promotes good
joint and bone health. * Time is a huge factor and that is the
main reason truck drivers gain weight. To promote weight loss
for truck drivers it is important to devote to at least one sit
down meal a day. This can be hard, but one good, warm meal with
a salad can go miles for helping with their overall health.
While this cannot always be accomplished, it is important to
remember that if time can be made the meal should be healthy.
Eat something low in carbohydrates and high in vitamins. Another
reason truck driver’s select fast food is because it is easily
consumed while driving, which is important for road safety.
Sometimes it is better to select a wrap or something that still
can be ate with one hand and is a good healthy alternative to a
hamburger. * Another idea to promote healthier eating is to get
a refrigerator that hooks into the truck for power and to stock
it with homemade sandwiches and fruit and finger foods. This is
much healthier than a bag of potato chips or a hotdog from the
truck stop. Sometimes this is not possible but it is a good
alternative and promotes weight loss for truck drivers. Not to
mention, by preparing food at home or in truck, it saves a lot
of money. * To help with weight loss for truck drivers, it is
important to avoid buffets. They are laden with greasy fried
foods or frozen foods that are full of preservatives. Salt and
these preservatives lead to bloating and digestive issues and
these can hinder a truck driver. If it is necessary to eat at a
buffet, then try to pick foods that will not cause these lower
stomach issues and help to promote better overall health.

Weight loss for truck drivers is not an easy thing; not many
people can remain healthy while spending as much time as they do
in confinement. And since it is their profession it is not like
they can alter their daily routine to promote better health -
their day consists of driving and their free time is spent
sleeping. To find out more ways you can lose weight visit Low Fat Diet Plan

About the author:
I am an avid adventurer and I tend to linger on the edge of
risk. I enjoy writing, spending free time with my family, and
most of all taking rides on my motorcycle wherever the road
leads me. I dabble in unique products, and venture about various
natures of the internet marketing phenomena. In my quest if I
can reach a few individuals in the audience I have succeeded at
what I have set out to do.

At Plaza 23 Truck Stop and Convenience Store we have a lot of healthy choices for truck drivers.

Title: Stay Healthy while on Truck Driving Job

Author: Armil F. Velos

Article:
Many considered a truck driving job as one of the unhealthiest job in US. It’s because they are always on the go, constantly driving to deliver on time, sometimes don’t get enough sleep, stressed out and they are usually forced to eat on fast food restaurants, diners or gas stations, they choose to eat in those place because its more convenient and of course faster. Since we all know that foods served on these kinds of restaurants are usually unhealthy. Thus it makes our truck drivers becomes overweight, the cholesterol level is high, some have high blood pressure and other health risks. But these can be prevented by following some simple healthy measures. A truck driver can still eat right and be healthy despite his busy life.

Here are some simple tips on how a truck driver can improve his eating habits and stay healthy while on the road. Eat smaller portion each meal – this will definitely help you to reduce your daily intake of fats, sugar and calories. One must also eat slowly so that you will not overeat before you feel that you are already full.

Choose to order healthier foods – if you don’t really have any other choice but to eat on those fast foods and restaurants, you can always choose to order healthier foods that they serve. Go for salads and other sandwiches that are healthier. Stay away from fried foods, they are high in fats and cholesterol.

Choose healthy snacks – it will be better if you bring some fruits or veggies with you for you to eat in between meals. It’s a lot healthier and best help to curb hunger.

Drink more water and healthy drinks- cut back from drinking coffee, sodas, and other drinks that are high in sugar and calories. If possible stop drinking beer as well, it contributes a lot to those unwanted belly fat.

Walk if possible. Try to walk even for a few minutes every time you made a stop. Doing a couple laps around the parking lot or walking for at least 10 minutes each day will help a lot. It may seem a little time but it does add up each day.

You can also bring a set of dumbbells with you on your truck and everyday that you made a stop, you can use it to work out your arms.

These tips may sound simple but they will surely bring good results and a lot of good health benefits for you. Nowadays, many trucking companies encourage their drivers to have a healthy lifestyle, some even installs gyms in their hubs, provide free medical screenings, some also gives incentives to truckers who maintains good health.

If you are on look of truck driving job, you should also consider and choose the company who offers good health programs for their truckers.

About the author:
If you are looking for a truck driver jobs today, Jobs For Truckers.com is the only stop you need to make. Truck Drivers can compare truck driving jobs from carriers in their area or across the country.

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