Last Updated on Apr 15, 2020 by James W
The beauty of living in the 21st century that the constantly evolving business and industrial landscape means that there are more ways than ever to make money. There was a time when you’d start a job in your teens or early twenties and work for the same company right the way through to your retirement. I ask you, where’s the fun in that? As the increasingly globalized and digitize business landscape shifts and changes in the ultra fast paced 21st century, many of us find ourselves not only changing jobs but careers multiple times in our lives. The millennial generation will likely have a dozen different jobs between the ages of 18 and 48. Thus, many are making radical career changes in their twenties, thirties, forties and even beyond. If you’ve changed career and your new job entails a lot of driving, you’re likely fairly confident that your driving skills are sufficient to stand you in good stead for success in your new career. Whether you’ll be a travelling sales professional or involved in logistics, whether you’ll be driving a brand new rig or your old faithful car, it’s important to remember that you’ll be driving for longer hours and in a different way to how you drove previously. Thus, it’s a good idea to keep the following in mind…
You need to show the same professionalism on the road as in the office
When we’re in the car alone, we’re accountable only to ourselves, but if you’re driving in a professional capacity, you represent the organization you work for, and they will not thank you for representing them poorly on the road. Whether your vehicle has the company’s branding on it or not, don’t be surprised if bad driving or poor behavior on the road comes back to your higher ups. Remember that even in horrendous traffic, pouring rain or in the face of idiocy from your fellow drivers, your driving must be unimpeachable.
Make sure that your driving skills are on point
When you first start learning to drive, you use a driving school to help you get your adult license. After years or even decades of driving, we all pick up bad habits or let certain skills go to seed. It’s a good idea to enrol on a refresher course to brush up on your theory and practical skills no matter how confident you are in your abilities.
Rest breaks are not a waste of time
If you’re on the road for a goodly portion of your job, you’re probably well aware that time is money. But while you may be working against time constraints, that’s no excuse to put your safety at risk. Make sure that you stop for a rest break of at least 15 minutes every 2 hours. Don’t let yourself become another driver fatigue statistic.
More water, less coffee!
It’s vitally important to stay hydrated while on the road. Sure, you’ll need to stop for bathroom breaks but staying hydrated is vitally important to ensure peak concentration and alertness. This means drinking plenty of water and cutting down on coffee. While coffee might give you a temporary jolt of alertness it will inevitably lead to peaks and troughs and will likely mean that you spend most of your time lurching groggily from one caffeine fix to the next.
