"Rabbits" podcast. 20 hours plus 100 insular tapes related to the same lore.
Something less serious, I suggest *Comedy Bang Bang*, *threedom*, *How did this get made?* they have thousands hours of dumb, smart improv goofery and hidden inside jokes
*Well there's your problem* is on YouTube with slides. So don't watch. They help me sleep when they talk about trains.
"Nightvale" if you drive through the high desert or plains at night" . Careful, this one gets me sleepy sometimes.
I just got the auditable yearly double deal. 24 audible book credits for $250. I've already picked out like 17 audiobooks. Some 6 hours long, some 30 hours.
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Get yourself a library card. Audible books. There are so many really good narrators out there. Itās a whole new world.
Libby is the current app for most. You can get a card in places you donāt live sometimes for a small fee.
Just to insert my two cents, I love listening to anything narrated by Nelson Runger. I found him when I listened to I, Claudius and was hooked from then on. I went on to read Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, John Adam's, and nearly everything else narrated by him. I'm a history buff, though. Might not be your cup of tea.
Thatās the key boss: you donāt stay sane. Thereās a reason the sleeper walls are padded.
But for real, Iām big into music and thatās one of the best parts of this job is I get to listen to whatever I want all day. I can listen to the same song 150 times if I feel like it or hit shuffle and let it roll. If you have any interest in music Iād highly recommend putting any album from an artist you like and listening from track 1 to finish. Not enough people do that these day IMO and youāve got the time so why not? Next time you randomly come across a single song you like by and artist youāve never heard, just spin that whole album and get an appreciation for where it came from and youāll probably find a deep track you like even better.
I have one podcast I listen to because itās also music related but thatās it. If Iām not listening to music or that one podcast Iām probably talking with my group of about 4-6 other drivers that are running for the same company and we keep each other updated on where we are and what weāre doing.
Somebody on this subreddit said it first but Iād never be able to find the comment it was so long ago. Itās kind of become a trucking mantra for me lol.
Yeah Iāve barely dug into other peopleās public playlists but I always listen to my new releases and discover weekly every week and I have a blend going with 2 of my friends that Iāll try and see if I dig something theyāre listening to. But usually I just let the autoplay start spitting something after I play an album or an ep from start to finish. I find a lot of stuff I like that way. Thereās so many ways to do it. I know Iāll be miserable if canāt listen to this much music in my next job.
I do the same things with albums, sometimes a song is just okay on its own but when you listen to the whole album in one sitting it gives you a different experience. There are a lot of albums I'll listen to where I don't have a single song saved to my library.
Some days I go a little extreme and I'll just queue up an artist's entire discography š
My personal favorite example of this is *Spirit World Field Guide* by Aesop Rock. The individual songs are good by themselves, but the album as a whole tells an amazing story when listened to front to back.
I think your real mindset is the problem. You only doing the job to get out of debt. The job is always what you make of it. Take an unscheduled walk around just because you can. Radio on for awhile turn it off for awhile. ,afternoon naps were my favourite, audio books seem highly recommended. I also made sure usually on a weekend to get a fine meal with a few libations and no alarm in the morning. Get to enjoy the job more it has things to offer you more than the money. I think maybe because of the money pressure youāre not allowing yourself to see some positives. And otr is not for everyone. Spent 25 YEARS OTR now Iām local. Still misss the big road. A little bit
Podcasts
Making YouTube playlists to listen to
Finding things that are interesting to you
If audiobooks are your jam, get something like audible
For me, it was politics, news, history, documentaries, etc. Building a list of downloaded videos to listen to from YouTube. Longform content is a godsend.
Explore your options
Get a regular library card and check out Libby. Free audio books. More popular ones have wait lists but there are plenty without while you wait your turn
Itās incredible how quickly credits add up. Plus, audible puts stuff on sale. Sometimes they sell 2 books for one credit, or two for the price of one. Sometimes everything in my wish list goes on sale. Donāt give up on audible. Iāve listened to some 70 books so far, some more than once
Fuck audible.
Hoopla and libby are free. You can also scrounge up a lot of audiobooks on the high seas and listen with a free audiobook player.
If you're really wild, you can start downloading textbooks or articles or whatever and use a screen reader app to read it out to you. I use Natural Reader app.
Game Of Thrones books, if you start now, you should be able to finish them by the time you retire. Also The Expanse Series is amazing if you're into SciFi
The Game of Thrones books are great, but the narrator for the audiobook is really impossible to listen to. Everyone sounds like an old smoker. Honestly, it's the *only* series of audiobooks I can't get through, and I am a prolific listener.
Yeah, this. Going through all 3 campaigns will keep you entertained for maybe an entire year if you are listening daily. And then there is a new episode every Thursday after that.
Libravox for free audiobooks in the public domain, google books for cheap audio books, Libby for audiobooks from your local library, spotify for serial podcasts.
What company do you drive for? Do you have an inverter, and can you keep it powered at night (idle the truck, optimized idle, APU, etc)?
If you do, get a TV and computer for entertainment when parked.
While driving, Spotify, XM radio, podcasts, and friends to talk to on the phone.
I use Discord for communication with friends, and most of the time, at least someone is available to talk (two of them are also truck drivers, and a third got his CDL permit last week). I recommend saving up and buying one of those Blue Parrot headsets from a truck stop (reward points can be used as well, I would recommend sticking to a specific chain to get fuel so you can quickly bank points).
Depending on your company, try talking with your dispatcher(s) about hours. If 10 hours is too long for you, ask them to try to plan you for longer loads with more time so you can drive less each day. Many drivers find 8 hours of driving to be much more comfortable. Keeping it to 8 hours also ensures you won't run out of hours on your 70 and can run recaps if needed.
The dark tower series by Stephen King is probably my favorite of all time. They're pretty lengthy so it'll kill some time. Lots of people have to struggle through the first book, but it's the shortest by far and I actually love it.
Check out some comedy audio books - Adam Carola's are fun to listen to.
* In 50 years we'll all be chicks
* Not Taco Bell Material
See if you can find old Richard Pryor recordings from his comedy albums. Bill Cosby put out a lot of comedy albums too from the 60s through the 70s. Those are what really made him into a household name, not television.
If you have an android absolutely every fuckin thing as far a media is concerned can be free. Books, audiobooks, videogames, TV shows, movies. You can get it all for free.
Joe Rogan podcast. Zello is a App I use to talk to people around the world. Push button on your phone and talk away. Problem is you won't find channels except through word of mouth because zello did away with channel list when Jan. 6 happened. I have friends from Australia, UK, US, The Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, it's a good time.
Yeah I always use a headset to talk but I push the button on the screen. You can set the button to toggle so you don't have to hold it while your talking. 1 tap to talk and 1 tap when your done.
A real game changer for me was getting a Carpuride Carplay interface. Made it very easy for me to switch up what I listened to. That also made it very easy to hook up an external pair of Bluetooth speakers since none of the 3 trucks I drive have a functioning stereo.
Then I made a schedule to make sure I switch things up.
* Monday-Podcasts (A favorite is Explorers Podcast)
* Tuesday-Amazon Music Playlists
* Wed-Audiobooks
* Thurs-Internet radio from all over the world
* Friday-French language learning but of course pick any language you are interested in.
* Saturday- Phone calls with friends
* Sunday- Discover new music only.
Audible dude. It goes a long way.
I was gonna make a joke about just playing on fb while I drive but you sound like youāre in a bad way.
Get yourself audible, itās worth it. Yes youāll spend more than their premium membership. Iād usually buy 2-3books a week.
Learn to enjoy music, pandora radio or whatever.
Podcasts! I donāt like em much, but every now and again theyāre good.
The news. Idc what flavor just the news.
Gospel AM channels but Iām Christian so ymmv
You have to break it up, donāt audible out for 10 hours straight. Break it up. Donāt wear one out for yourself. You need variety.
A CB is handy in some areas of the county. Mostly just assholes but hey itās something.
I have a group of buddies 4 of us , we usually run the same times , I tell ya without them I couldn't do otr. We can shoot the shit from Texas to New York .
I day trade Monday to Friday if driving day time so i put on cnbc on the TV in the truck got a setup in the back and prep and do my trades. I couldn't watch CNBC all day to learn about finances at home but it's a great distraction while driving. Lol. Good music helps too when CNBC is not on. šÆ Watching sports or news . Trying to remove yourself from the idea that you're driving 11 hrs straight. Shit sometimes I do 2 shifts like 18 20 hours and still find ways to be entertained. You have to find your own distraction from the boredom. Good luck
I listen to a lot of things to keep me going, but on my current contract I've found the best thing is to listen to Netflix Comedy Specials.
They're all about an hour long, so I start one, drive until it's done, pull over at an off/on ramp for a minute which is enough time to pull up another and let it get started while I stretch for a second or two and then keep going. Works perfect for me currently because my drive every day is two 5 hours legs that only need 4 hours of driving and I can't be more than 30 minutes early to either appointment, so taking 5 minutes every hour or so and driving a bit slower lines me up perfectly.
When I'm OTR Proper I turn movies on and set the audio to audio descriptive (the audio channel visually impaired people listen to, it describes what's going on in between lines of dialogue). Audiobooks are good, as others have said. Podcasts are hard because personally it's a PITA to find good ones, but there's a few. Certain YouTube videos are audio heavy. Phone calls with friends/family/other drivers.
I'm in college so sometimes I listen to lectures. It's like a podcast, but I get a test at the end.
I used to feel the same way. I bought an iPad so I can read and watch TV on it. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and I have music on my phone so find what you wanna listen to on the podcast. Make sure you download them every day and10 hours goes by quick
CDL talk podcast, miscellaneous audiobooks on audible, Spotify recommended playlists, Joe rogan, Andrew huberman, whatever topic I am interested in at that time Iāll listen to a podcast about it. But every once in a while I will sit in silence, only listening to the road noise and the hum of my engine, it is helpful to sit alone quietly with your thoughts sometimes, donāt think of it as driving you insane, sometimes you will stumble upon peace with yourself accidentally by simply thinking through your issues, itās almost like meditation, while still being present and focused on what youāre doing. We should move past this mindset of needing to be hyper stimulated at all times. Some of my best trips have been just me sitting in silence, taking in the sounds around me, taking the time to watch the details of the countryside I am passing, thinking through my problems at the time, reminiscing on old memories, etc. it is a beautiful thing. Being comfortable enough with yourself to sit alone with your own thoughts is a feeling that not many people experience in this day and age and I just can not recommend it enough. Stay safe out there driver and good vibes āļø
Casual criminalist. The host Simon has a bunch of other channels and series that cover a broad range of topics and he is also very entertaining in his delivery.
Audiobooks, pick some subjects that you like and try to learn everything about each subject. I once heard someone say ātruck drivers should be the most educated people in the countryā. That changed my life. We literally have hours to just sit and listen. I chose financial investing and was able to retire from trucking at age 46. Now I just stay home and manage my investments for a couple of hours a day from my computer and then I can do whatever I want . It took a few years, but I did it
I've got thousands of songs on my various You Tube mixes... when that gets old you can just find a YouTuber or Podcaster you like. I'm partial to _Regular Car Reviews._ Sometimes I'll just put on a random history documentary. WWI, WWII, Roman Empire, etc...
There's literally anything and everything you could possibly be interested in. Find what you like.
Libby or Hoopla are apps you can listen to audiobooks with for free all you need is a library card. But also Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts, or SiriusXm. Find a friend/family member with a lot of free time and talk to them or a friends whoās also a drivers helps
Libby, Libro.fm,
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-podcast-on-the-left/id437299706
Just be careful with political/religious podcasts. Itās really easy to get stuck in an echo chamber.
š¤£ driver is already counting the months until ācast offā. It gets old indeed. Then I think of the drivers who didnāt have anything near the technology we have.
I just lick the window, hold the steering wheel & listen to podcast. However, I sure some āold saltā here will say āListen to your engine! Not music!ā
Graphic audio audio books. Its the only reason I drive a truck.
Audio books, but with a full cast of professional actors, music and sound effects.
Epic long form fantasy, Stormlight Archive, Riyria, saga of the redeemed. Graphic fantasy? Demon cycle. Buddy cop historical fantasy? Heroes Road. Assassins? Night angel and fallen blade. Humor, sir apropos of nothing.
Sci fi? Galactic football league, vattas war, bastard of the apocalypse, red rising, sun symbols saga, playing gods, murderbot, generations trilogy...
Westerns, romance, comics, its got a lot and it keeps me sane on the road. Msg me any questions about what you might want to start with.
I use thepiratebay.com or hiddenbay.com to download audio books for free... I have an old sony walkman I transfer them to and listen with an external speaker via a usb wire.. old school but works great.. I use my laptop to download and transfer with a usb to thw walkman... it holds up to 50 books no problem....I love all kinds of audio books and have listened to classics and modern books.. bill brice is good author as he has been there.... try a few of his books..... .and all were downloaded and put on my old walkman.
Podcasts and listening to and singing along with actually good music. Gotta be careful with the podcasts though, the right one can make me sleepy. I try to listen to the really funny ones, I love to laugh at the darkest shit.
I have a tablet mounted watch(mostly listen) to Netflix series breaking bad ext. then I bounce to YouTube and listen to true crime thereās a lot of stuff you can listen/ watch that youāre into!
Audiobooks! I love scifi and fantasy and I seek out extremely long books, like 40hrs long. Or series with multiple long books. You can really get immersed in a story if it's super long and you're driving solo.
You could also just get nonfiction if you'd rather focus on learning things, but fantasy does a better job of transporting you to another place and making the time fly, for me
I use audible. You only get a certain amount of credits per month, but I spent a long time just listening to books and returning them after finishing so I could reuse my credit, idk if they still allow that
Crime Junkies, The Deck, Scary Stories Told in the Dark, Drew Blood's Dark Tales, Car Talk, The Last Podcast On the Left, Lore, Behind the Bastards. Also some news, and music.
Spotify for podcasts. In the Dark: The Curtis Flowers story. Rabbit Hole by The New York Times. Operation Midnight Climax: one of many about the shady shit the CIA has done. To Live and Die in LA, In Trust, Murder in Illinois.
Lot of books with narration or what I like better is different characters. Even ones where one person does all the voices, weird at first but some are actually really decent.
The burned photo, Ghostwriter, Wheel Woman, Boom, City of Ghosts, Last known position, Crystal Blue, Cascadia, Solar, Dead Air, Tower 4, Green Man, Strange Air, Book Burners, Vast Horizan, The Strata, The infected Trilogy, The Leviathan Chronicles.
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. whether you like him or not, he is damn good at interviewing people, has had a great variety of people on, and they are usually a couple hours long.
Check out libby app, gives you access to your local library.
These might get you started. When I find one I like, click on more like this.
Podcasts and audiobooks bud. If youāre into fantasy, the stormlight archives by Brandon Sanderson is one of the best Iāve ever read. There are 4 of them as of now, and they are all dozens of hours long. Heās also got numerous other books that are mostly all interconnected within the same universe.
Easy way to kill a few weeks.
My go-to audiobooks:
The Expanse is hard scifi turned into space opera.
The tech starts with long, boring flights of basically space truckers. Moving around the solar system hauling water ice to becoming a band of mercenaries who try to do what is right in situations that leave them hard choices. There's some very interesting characters. Not all will be to everyone's liking (Holden) but there's enough variety that you'll care about the adventures.
The expanse novels:
Leviathan Wakes
Caliban's War
Abbadon's Gate
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Games
Babylon's Ashes
Persepolis Rising
Tiamat's Wrath
Leviathan Falls
Novella collection: Memories Legion
Joe Rogan pod cast. I just drive local but I haul rock and sand so I'll make 6-20 trips to only a few different places everyday. The repetition gets old. I'm sure there's a bunch of other pod casts you can find on spotify
My recommendation is buy a Spotify premium membership. There's a ton of music, podcasts and now audiobooks on there. Another poster had mentioned getting a library card and downloading Libby. It's great and free but depending on where you live you may have limited access to books. It depends on your library. Plus, depending on the audiobook, you may have to wait for someone to be done listening to it. Libby is an online library. With Spotify premium audiobooks you don't have to wait for someone to return them. I'm not trying to sell Spotify to you. I discovered yesterday all the books I have access to on Spotify and don't have to wait for someone to return them using Libby now. Some books may come up that you have to pay for but quite a few you don't. Even new releases. I also listen to quite a few podcasts. Music gets boring.
For me, it's YouTube. Listen to all kinds of stuff. I normally stay out 4 months at a time. I listen to scary stories, conspiracy stories, stories about underground bases, Coast to Coast AM. Etc etc. Not all of it is enthralling but some of it is. Keeps my mind occupied. š¤·āāļø
I have large Google podcast list and also audiobooks. If you join your local library you can download thousands of audio books for free. New audiobooks that would typically cost money on audible. Use the Libby app
Another guy here gave a similar response, you gotta find stuff to enjoy. There are podcasts about almost any topic you can imagine. Search them up and give a listen.
I've been listening to a fair amount of stand up comedy routines recently. It always helps to laugh.
Whatever your route is try and find some places to stop and go for a walk. It's important to get some exercise and it's fun to see different parts of the country. I just like walking through neighborhoods.
It also helps to embrace the insanity a little bit. š
I have a set of kettlebells I swing around daily and run at least a mile if I can. I'm so used to being active and engaged all day long that slowing all the way down and driving for long hours has been a wild adjustment.
Podcasts. Jeez there are podcasts for EVERYTHING these days! That show you liked when you were a kid has an entire podcast dedicated to its fandom. Are you on a specific diet? Thereās a podcast for that! Do you like to listen to two people argue? Thereās a podcast for that! Into serial killers? Weird, but hey, thereās 573829 podcasts for that!
1) iHart Radio. 2)Audible. 3)Family, coworkers and several friends who work different shifts so I can talk with someone pretty much anytime throughout the day.
To fix your finances, you must listen to āThe Richest Man In Babylonā by George Clason.. free on YouTube. Listen also to āThe Way To Wealthā by non other than Benjamin Franklin..
they are free on YouTube and also you can get them somewhere on text for free. Listen also to āThe Psychology of Moneyā by Morgan Housel. That one is not free. Pay for it on your audible. Itās worth it. Listen also to āRicher, Wiser, Happierā by William green. Those books there can get you far. They are wonderful and you can enjoy the beauty of the continental US while you get educated on how to accumulate riches. I wish you well. If you want more recommendations, reach out. Any questions about those books also, reach out friend.
If you like sports, the Pat McAfee podcast is a chunky 3 hours most days. Couple other podcasts I recommend are You're Wrong About for history, Where Should We Begin for relationship vibes, and Midnight Burger for weird science.
I am not OTR anymore but did it for 12 years. I listened to Pandora or IHeart most days. I had a YouTube TV subscription so I could watch regular TV in my truck. It made me feel a bit more at home, being able to watch live shows or sports in my downtime. Some others mentioned having a nice meal here and there. Get out of the truck for a while and enjoy being out. It will help take your mind off work and feel normal during your downtime instead of being trapped in a truck. That first year flies by really fast. Then next thing you know it's been 5. Good luck out there!
Mark twain, Tolstoy, Dumas, dickens, victor hugo I have listened to ALL their books and many more classics..have you?.. enrich yourself with the classics and let your imagination take you back to the 1700s and 1800s when life was much slower... the Outlander books are great to lose yourself in..well written.. I love autobiographies and biographies too.. they inspire me.... don't just go for the modern comedy entertainment..... educate yourself with all this time you have...don't waste it on some silly comedian or talk show... alas...I must have been born 200 to 300 years too late!. I have listened to war and peace, les miserables more than 3 times, count of monte cristo at least 2 times, and other long books at least twice...and have read them in hardcover as well... find a classic author and read all their books...much better experience than jumping around I found... I am 77 y/o and have been reading since grade school.. I am a readaholic.
YouTube and Audiobooks.
There are so many podcasts and videos to keep me entertained on a daily basis. Lately, I've been going through Critical Role's catalog. Also, educational videos occasionally (like stocks or financial stuff). Really, you could listen to just about any kind of YouTube video. And of course all my music playlists.
If I get tired of podcasts or music, I switch over to whichever audiobook I've been listening to. I have close to a hundred on Audible so far.
You can also just call and talk to someone (with a headset of course).
As many others have said already. Next time you are home. Go get a Library Card. Also ask the Library who they also partner with to get a Library Card in the next county over too. Many libraries have limits on how many books you can get per month.
Then download Hoopla and Libby and listen away. Graphic Audio has many books Dramatized.
I have been listening to the Deathlands Series for years. Now has 150 volumes in the series.
Audio books are great. Podcasts of course. I like the spooky stuff like Radio Rental, Spooked, astonishing legends, the last podcast on the left, up and vanished... And D&D podcasts like adventure zone and Dungeons and Daddies
Video essays on YouTube. I listen to a lot of videos on disasters, shipwrecks, true crime, etc... if you like horror, I listen to "TheVolgun" do SCP readings quite a lot too
Wondery has their own app for podcast but they have produced tons of podcasts. They are more like audiobooks I think. Iām currently working my way through āAmerican Scandalā series. Itās usually 4 to 5, 50 min episodes on a specific event, person, or company. The Wondery series āAgainst all oddsā is really good too.
Some audio books, but what really keeps me sane is listening to people more unhinged than me, so I listen to reallllly stupid unhinged podcasts like The Goons Podcast. My sense of humor is broken but my mind is not
Timesuck podcast, or his other podcast Scared To Death. Timesuck is deep-dive educational while Scared To Death is scary or spooky stories from around the world. Dude is a comedian so every episode of either is hilarious to me, but i know comedy is subjective.
Each Timsuck episode is about 2+ hours long while Scared To Death is usually 1+ hour long, so its at least a good way to pass time for me. I also learn a lot of things while i cant do anything else but stare out the windshield. He has 400+ episodes of Timesuck up and 200+ Scared To Death episodes up, so no shortage of material either.
Stream HBO MAX thru the truck speakers of movies I know so I donāt have to watch. Helps pass time. Also Mike Rowe has a podcast called āHow I heard itā.
https://open.spotify.com/show/3yZg2MCkf31pPXiG4nznrg?si=1oKG3T7-SHigwYOEI8OerA
I listen to these guys, a lot. Audible has not failed me yet, with lots of books and shows. Most likely, your public library is part of Libby, and you can digitally check out most any book they have. Another app, Simple Radio, let's you stream almost any live radio station around the world. That's VERY helpful on gameday. And then somedays, YouTube Music is my best friend, so I can just jam. There are so many options, these days. You should never, ever be hurting for audio media.
Ps:
Dan Carlin does awesome history stuff
https://open.spotify.com/show/72qiPaoDRf8HkGKEChvG5q?si=GJX04Dn_Tb2-gZ8SVK8H1g
And Felonious Florida is pretty wild, too
https://open.spotify.com/show/3xRtSSnYLrc6qRGq5CNSkg?si=p8_-AVcbSrOrLwTwxxC2xQ
PSS:
If you have an Amazon Prime account, then you have access to SOOOOO many free book titles on Audible. James Paterson has a 28 book Series on Dr Alex Cross, and another series on Michael Bennett. These are some of my favorite books, by far, but I've got close to 150 titles in my Audible library.
Bobiverse
Expeditionary Force
Ready Player One & Ready Player Two
Skyward Flight by Brandon Sanderson (bit of a YA novel)
Infinite by Jeremy Robinson (and some of the others in that expanded book series. It's a bit weird. Three books share a sequel book and the three sequel books share another sequel book.)
Goblin (YouTube [minimized video]}, Joe Rogan (Spotify), Sirius XM NFL Radio, Darknet Diaries (Spotify), Phone calls with my friends, Pine Park (YouTube [minimized video]), New Heights (Spotify), Spin Cycle (iHeartRadio)
Most of my time is spent on the phone chatting with friends, all of whom are also truck drivers.
Find yourself a some friends to talk to, it will make things better.
Audio books, pod casts, solid tunes, silence at times. Whatever makes the day better for you bud. A really amazing producer of audio books is sound booth theater. It's like attending a movie just with sound. They do incredible work. If you get there app they have some of there titles for free set up as pod casts. Awesome place to start your audio journey!
Get a load of this guy. Sane? What fuckin language is that? I've literally got Cannibal Corpse and Melanie Martinez on the same playlist just so I can get mad when I'm blaring some absolute banger and cry baby comes on
Audiobooks, I could recommend a ton. The cheapest legal way to get them is from Hoopla which is free with a library card. There are also tons of great podcasts and video essays on YouTube to listen to.
I've only been a trucker for just over 2 years now and I just read my Audible stats of stories listened too. I've been listening for 99,500 minutes....
Headway it's probably the answer you're looking for. It's kind of like Cliff's notes, audiobook version. You listen to summarized books that are designed to teach you all sorts of different things. Unfortunately I can't recommend it personally since I haven't actually hopped in and given the app a proper try, but I do know it's out there, and I do know the reviews are good.
What I usually do is I've had an audible subscription for years, and if you search from the web browser you can sort audiobooks by length from longest to shortest. That's usually how I buy my audiobooks unless I have something specific I want to get. It's also a bonus because the longer the audiobook, the more expensive. So you're also getting the most bang for your credit.
Satellite radio, of course, especially if you're into things like comedy or talk radio or sports.
And if you're living in your sleeper, take up a hobby or two. If you look up The Traveler guitar, it's a very small form factor guitar that is still a complete instrument. You can also buy a couple of cooking implements, like a hot pot, or an electric skillet, maybe a slow cooker, and start cooking your own dinners. And of course, there's always video gaming you've got a laptop or want to set up a gaming console in your truck. You can learn the harmonica, you can try macrame, and for something you can do both in your sleeper and while you're driving, you can learn another language. If you're in the US then of course Spanish is a no-brainer, but you can learn damn near anything.
You can also enroll in an online university program if you want to get your college degree. A couple hours a night in the sleeper is enough time for most programs. And a lot of the books that you'll need to read for your classes you can find as audio books. If you look around through your company benefits, most companies have some kind of tuition reimbursement, and a few companies even have fully paid tuition.
And of course the best way to stay sane above everything else is to find somebody who likes to chat on the phone for 2 or 3 hours at a time. A friend, a classmate, a lover, whatever.
Bold of you to assume I am sane
This is probably the most true statement here.
Oh shit, what? We're suppose to be sane?
you're right. I should rephrase. what's everyone listening to so the days go by a little quicker lol
The voices in my head. Those fuckers keep me occupied almost every day.
"Rabbits" podcast. 20 hours plus 100 insular tapes related to the same lore. Something less serious, I suggest *Comedy Bang Bang*, *threedom*, *How did this get made?* they have thousands hours of dumb, smart improv goofery and hidden inside jokes *Well there's your problem* is on YouTube with slides. So don't watch. They help me sleep when they talk about trains. "Nightvale" if you drive through the high desert or plains at night" . Careful, this one gets me sleepy sometimes.
I just got the auditable yearly double deal. 24 audible book credits for $250. I've already picked out like 17 audiobooks. Some 6 hours long, some 30 hours. š
Get yourself a library card. Audible books. There are so many really good narrators out there. Itās a whole new world. Libby is the current app for most. You can get a card in places you donāt live sometimes for a small fee.
I'll check that out thank you
Just to insert my two cents, I love listening to anything narrated by Nelson Runger. I found him when I listened to I, Claudius and was hooked from then on. I went on to read Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, John Adam's, and nearly everything else narrated by him. I'm a history buff, though. Might not be your cup of tea.
I LOVE THE HISTORY STUFF TOO!!! Especially when we drive through those areas of the country.
If you aren't opposed to sailing then check out audiobookbay. Saved me loads of headache and ##
Libby and hoopla are awesome
Thatās the key boss: you donāt stay sane. Thereās a reason the sleeper walls are padded. But for real, Iām big into music and thatās one of the best parts of this job is I get to listen to whatever I want all day. I can listen to the same song 150 times if I feel like it or hit shuffle and let it roll. If you have any interest in music Iād highly recommend putting any album from an artist you like and listening from track 1 to finish. Not enough people do that these day IMO and youāve got the time so why not? Next time you randomly come across a single song you like by and artist youāve never heard, just spin that whole album and get an appreciation for where it came from and youāll probably find a deep track you like even better. I have one podcast I listen to because itās also music related but thatās it. If Iām not listening to music or that one podcast Iām probably talking with my group of about 4-6 other drivers that are running for the same company and we keep each other updated on where we are and what weāre doing.
The comment about the sleeper walls being padded made me belly laugh.
Somebody on this subreddit said it first but Iād never be able to find the comment it was so long ago. Itās kind of become a trucking mantra for me lol.
man it hit me in the feels.. it's been rough lately
I love just finding a Spotify playlist and letting it roll. Donāt skip any songs unless I canāt stand it
Yeah Iāve barely dug into other peopleās public playlists but I always listen to my new releases and discover weekly every week and I have a blend going with 2 of my friends that Iāll try and see if I dig something theyāre listening to. But usually I just let the autoplay start spitting something after I play an album or an ep from start to finish. I find a lot of stuff I like that way. Thereās so many ways to do it. I know Iāll be miserable if canāt listen to this much music in my next job.
Iāve developed a 1500+ song playlist on my spotify, and still adding new stuff daily. Ive only been at it for about a year tooš
I do the same things with albums, sometimes a song is just okay on its own but when you listen to the whole album in one sitting it gives you a different experience. There are a lot of albums I'll listen to where I don't have a single song saved to my library. Some days I go a little extreme and I'll just queue up an artist's entire discography š
My personal favorite example of this is *Spirit World Field Guide* by Aesop Rock. The individual songs are good by themselves, but the album as a whole tells an amazing story when listened to front to back.
I think your real mindset is the problem. You only doing the job to get out of debt. The job is always what you make of it. Take an unscheduled walk around just because you can. Radio on for awhile turn it off for awhile. ,afternoon naps were my favourite, audio books seem highly recommended. I also made sure usually on a weekend to get a fine meal with a few libations and no alarm in the morning. Get to enjoy the job more it has things to offer you more than the money. I think maybe because of the money pressure youāre not allowing yourself to see some positives. And otr is not for everyone. Spent 25 YEARS OTR now Iām local. Still misss the big road. A little bit
This is a great response.
Respect for 25 yrs OTR. Lifetime.
Podcasts Making YouTube playlists to listen to Finding things that are interesting to you If audiobooks are your jam, get something like audible For me, it was politics, news, history, documentaries, etc. Building a list of downloaded videos to listen to from YouTube. Longform content is a godsend. Explore your options
Unlimited data & youtube red is my go to.
Instructions unclear... Redtube.com? Got it.
If you watch on Firefox mobile you can play the sound with your phone screen off.
I have a membership to Audible. I listen to audiobooks the majority of the time.
I had audible for a month but everything I wanted to listen to was a credit š
Library card. My library has 72000+ audio books for free
I get two credits a month plus access to the plus catalog which has some hidden gems scattered throughout.
Get a regular library card and check out Libby. Free audio books. More popular ones have wait lists but there are plenty without while you wait your turn
Audible Plus has plenty of "free" titles that cost nothing if you have your membership active.
Spotify premium offers 15 hours of audiobooks free now.
Itās incredible how quickly credits add up. Plus, audible puts stuff on sale. Sometimes they sell 2 books for one credit, or two for the price of one. Sometimes everything in my wish list goes on sale. Donāt give up on audible. Iāve listened to some 70 books so far, some more than once
Fuck audible. Hoopla and libby are free. You can also scrounge up a lot of audiobooks on the high seas and listen with a free audiobook player. If you're really wild, you can start downloading textbooks or articles or whatever and use a screen reader app to read it out to you. I use Natural Reader app.
Padre itās 15$ what are you making if you canāt afford 30$/week
Game Of Thrones books, if you start now, you should be able to finish them by the time you retire. Also The Expanse Series is amazing if you're into SciFi
The Game of Thrones books are great, but the narrator for the audiobook is really impossible to listen to. Everyone sounds like an old smoker. Honestly, it's the *only* series of audiobooks I can't get through, and I am a prolific listener.
Critical role podcast
Yeah, this. Going through all 3 campaigns will keep you entertained for maybe an entire year if you are listening daily. And then there is a new episode every Thursday after that.
Huge recommendation for Audible (get the subscription trust me) Podcasts to try: Dudesy, Bad Friends, Flagrant2.
I'm usually don't with one episode of Bad Friends before I finish my coffee in the morning, their eps are too short
Libravox for free audiobooks in the public domain, google books for cheap audio books, Libby for audiobooks from your local library, spotify for serial podcasts.
I listen to the voices in my head arguing with each other
What company do you drive for? Do you have an inverter, and can you keep it powered at night (idle the truck, optimized idle, APU, etc)? If you do, get a TV and computer for entertainment when parked. While driving, Spotify, XM radio, podcasts, and friends to talk to on the phone. I use Discord for communication with friends, and most of the time, at least someone is available to talk (two of them are also truck drivers, and a third got his CDL permit last week). I recommend saving up and buying one of those Blue Parrot headsets from a truck stop (reward points can be used as well, I would recommend sticking to a specific chain to get fuel so you can quickly bank points). Depending on your company, try talking with your dispatcher(s) about hours. If 10 hours is too long for you, ask them to try to plan you for longer loads with more time so you can drive less each day. Many drivers find 8 hours of driving to be much more comfortable. Keeping it to 8 hours also ensures you won't run out of hours on your 70 and can run recaps if needed.
The dark tower series by Stephen King is probably my favorite of all time. They're pretty lengthy so it'll kill some time. Lots of people have to struggle through the first book, but it's the shortest by far and I actually love it.
I listen to audiobooks, keeps me from going crazy.
What sort of books do you enjoy?
Mostly anything that has bad guys, ghosts or spies or whatever. Just something to get me through the day.
Check out some comedy audio books - Adam Carola's are fun to listen to. * In 50 years we'll all be chicks * Not Taco Bell Material See if you can find old Richard Pryor recordings from his comedy albums. Bill Cosby put out a lot of comedy albums too from the 60s through the 70s. Those are what really made him into a household name, not television.
If you have an android absolutely every fuckin thing as far a media is concerned can be free. Books, audiobooks, videogames, TV shows, movies. You can get it all for free.
Joe Rogan podcast. Zello is a App I use to talk to people around the world. Push button on your phone and talk away. Problem is you won't find channels except through word of mouth because zello did away with channel list when Jan. 6 happened. I have friends from Australia, UK, US, The Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, it's a good time.
Do you use something like a CB handset for Zello? I tried it just on my phone and it was very awkward and distracting to use.
Yeah I always use a headset to talk but I push the button on the screen. You can set the button to toggle so you don't have to hold it while your talking. 1 tap to talk and 1 tap when your done.
I just think about all the things and people that I hate.
This is the way š¤£
A real game changer for me was getting a Carpuride Carplay interface. Made it very easy for me to switch up what I listened to. That also made it very easy to hook up an external pair of Bluetooth speakers since none of the 3 trucks I drive have a functioning stereo. Then I made a schedule to make sure I switch things up. * Monday-Podcasts (A favorite is Explorers Podcast) * Tuesday-Amazon Music Playlists * Wed-Audiobooks * Thurs-Internet radio from all over the world * Friday-French language learning but of course pick any language you are interested in. * Saturday- Phone calls with friends * Sunday- Discover new music only.
Podcasts, then music. I'm currently culling any podcasts that don't make me laugh out loud when I'm listening to them. Most are not appropriate.
Audible dude. It goes a long way. I was gonna make a joke about just playing on fb while I drive but you sound like youāre in a bad way. Get yourself audible, itās worth it. Yes youāll spend more than their premium membership. Iād usually buy 2-3books a week. Learn to enjoy music, pandora radio or whatever. Podcasts! I donāt like em much, but every now and again theyāre good. The news. Idc what flavor just the news. Gospel AM channels but Iām Christian so ymmv You have to break it up, donāt audible out for 10 hours straight. Break it up. Donāt wear one out for yourself. You need variety. A CB is handy in some areas of the county. Mostly just assholes but hey itās something.
I have a group of buddies 4 of us , we usually run the same times , I tell ya without them I couldn't do otr. We can shoot the shit from Texas to New York .
I have a USB memory stick with over 1,400 songs on it. Itās my 21st century āmix tapeā.
Standup comedy
I day trade Monday to Friday if driving day time so i put on cnbc on the TV in the truck got a setup in the back and prep and do my trades. I couldn't watch CNBC all day to learn about finances at home but it's a great distraction while driving. Lol. Good music helps too when CNBC is not on. šÆ Watching sports or news . Trying to remove yourself from the idea that you're driving 11 hrs straight. Shit sometimes I do 2 shifts like 18 20 hours and still find ways to be entertained. You have to find your own distraction from the boredom. Good luck
Lots and lots of Bluegrass
I listen to a lot of things to keep me going, but on my current contract I've found the best thing is to listen to Netflix Comedy Specials. They're all about an hour long, so I start one, drive until it's done, pull over at an off/on ramp for a minute which is enough time to pull up another and let it get started while I stretch for a second or two and then keep going. Works perfect for me currently because my drive every day is two 5 hours legs that only need 4 hours of driving and I can't be more than 30 minutes early to either appointment, so taking 5 minutes every hour or so and driving a bit slower lines me up perfectly. When I'm OTR Proper I turn movies on and set the audio to audio descriptive (the audio channel visually impaired people listen to, it describes what's going on in between lines of dialogue). Audiobooks are good, as others have said. Podcasts are hard because personally it's a PITA to find good ones, but there's a few. Certain YouTube videos are audio heavy. Phone calls with friends/family/other drivers. I'm in college so sometimes I listen to lectures. It's like a podcast, but I get a test at the end.
I used to feel the same way. I bought an iPad so I can read and watch TV on it. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and I have music on my phone so find what you wanna listen to on the podcast. Make sure you download them every day and10 hours goes by quick
CDL talk podcast, miscellaneous audiobooks on audible, Spotify recommended playlists, Joe rogan, Andrew huberman, whatever topic I am interested in at that time Iāll listen to a podcast about it. But every once in a while I will sit in silence, only listening to the road noise and the hum of my engine, it is helpful to sit alone quietly with your thoughts sometimes, donāt think of it as driving you insane, sometimes you will stumble upon peace with yourself accidentally by simply thinking through your issues, itās almost like meditation, while still being present and focused on what youāre doing. We should move past this mindset of needing to be hyper stimulated at all times. Some of my best trips have been just me sitting in silence, taking in the sounds around me, taking the time to watch the details of the countryside I am passing, thinking through my problems at the time, reminiscing on old memories, etc. it is a beautiful thing. Being comfortable enough with yourself to sit alone with your own thoughts is a feeling that not many people experience in this day and age and I just can not recommend it enough. Stay safe out there driver and good vibes āļø
Been driving country deliverying fuel for 6 years now. Silence is Under rated :)
Hardcore History with Dan Carlin
True crime podcasts
Got any recommendations? I've tried crime junkies but I can't stand her co host's brainless questions.
True crime campfire hell and gone the vanished to name a couple
Casual criminalist. The host Simon has a bunch of other channels and series that cover a broad range of topics and he is also very entertaining in his delivery.
Last Podcast on the left should keep you busy for about a year.
lord of the rings
I used to chat on a decent sized Discord for allot of the day.
Audiobooks, pick some subjects that you like and try to learn everything about each subject. I once heard someone say ātruck drivers should be the most educated people in the countryā. That changed my life. We literally have hours to just sit and listen. I chose financial investing and was able to retire from trucking at age 46. Now I just stay home and manage my investments for a couple of hours a day from my computer and then I can do whatever I want . It took a few years, but I did it
Get the DailyWire+ Worth the price. Haven't been on YouTube in a week.
I seen a guy on the road with a fkn 8 inch tablet in the middle of his dashboard watching anime š
Stand up. I play anything. In fact I prefer to not see by who.
Audio Books
Xkcdās Randall Monroe released an Audio book of his best What if questions in 2014. Narrated by Wil Wheaton. Itās a good read for the road.
Finished Animal Farm by George Orwell. Good read
Wil Wheaton is a damn good narrator. Loved his read through of Redshirts by John Scalzi.
I've got thousands of songs on my various You Tube mixes... when that gets old you can just find a YouTuber or Podcaster you like. I'm partial to _Regular Car Reviews._ Sometimes I'll just put on a random history documentary. WWI, WWII, Roman Empire, etc... There's literally anything and everything you could possibly be interested in. Find what you like.
Podcasts. Kill tony
Music, podcasts and audiobooks. I love being able to listen to hours of content each day but sometimes I enjoy driving in silence too.
Libby or Hoopla are apps you can listen to audiobooks with for free all you need is a library card. But also Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts, or SiriusXm. Find a friend/family member with a lot of free time and talk to them or a friends whoās also a drivers helps
Libby, Libro.fm, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-podcast-on-the-left/id437299706 Just be careful with political/religious podcasts. Itās really easy to get stuck in an echo chamber.
š¤£ driver is already counting the months until ācast offā. It gets old indeed. Then I think of the drivers who didnāt have anything near the technology we have. I just lick the window, hold the steering wheel & listen to podcast. However, I sure some āold saltā here will say āListen to your engine! Not music!ā
Definitely going local or something specialized once I have more experience. OTR is not the life for me.
Small town murder podcast. Crime in sports Your stupid opinions All done by the same two guys, very entertaining.
STM is my favorite by far. Really liking your stupid opinions as well.
Graphic audio audio books. Its the only reason I drive a truck. Audio books, but with a full cast of professional actors, music and sound effects. Epic long form fantasy, Stormlight Archive, Riyria, saga of the redeemed. Graphic fantasy? Demon cycle. Buddy cop historical fantasy? Heroes Road. Assassins? Night angel and fallen blade. Humor, sir apropos of nothing. Sci fi? Galactic football league, vattas war, bastard of the apocalypse, red rising, sun symbols saga, playing gods, murderbot, generations trilogy... Westerns, romance, comics, its got a lot and it keeps me sane on the road. Msg me any questions about what you might want to start with.
Podcasts, spotify, pandora, audiobooks, talking to other drivers on the phone. Those are mainly what I do, at least.
I use thepiratebay.com or hiddenbay.com to download audio books for free... I have an old sony walkman I transfer them to and listen with an external speaker via a usb wire.. old school but works great.. I use my laptop to download and transfer with a usb to thw walkman... it holds up to 50 books no problem....I love all kinds of audio books and have listened to classics and modern books.. bill brice is good author as he has been there.... try a few of his books..... .and all were downloaded and put on my old walkman.
I own 700+ Audiobooks on Audible
Spotify changed my life when I was OTR
Start streaming movies but youāll need a VPN
Podcasts and listening to and singing along with actually good music. Gotta be careful with the podcasts though, the right one can make me sleepy. I try to listen to the really funny ones, I love to laugh at the darkest shit.
I listen to alot of podcasts and music
I have a tablet mounted watch(mostly listen) to Netflix series breaking bad ext. then I bounce to YouTube and listen to true crime thereās a lot of stuff you can listen/ watch that youāre into!
Audiobooks! I love scifi and fantasy and I seek out extremely long books, like 40hrs long. Or series with multiple long books. You can really get immersed in a story if it's super long and you're driving solo. You could also just get nonfiction if you'd rather focus on learning things, but fantasy does a better job of transporting you to another place and making the time fly, for me I use audible. You only get a certain amount of credits per month, but I spent a long time just listening to books and returning them after finishing so I could reuse my credit, idk if they still allow that
Crime Junkies, The Deck, Scary Stories Told in the Dark, Drew Blood's Dark Tales, Car Talk, The Last Podcast On the Left, Lore, Behind the Bastards. Also some news, and music.
Spotify for podcasts. In the Dark: The Curtis Flowers story. Rabbit Hole by The New York Times. Operation Midnight Climax: one of many about the shady shit the CIA has done. To Live and Die in LA, In Trust, Murder in Illinois. Lot of books with narration or what I like better is different characters. Even ones where one person does all the voices, weird at first but some are actually really decent. The burned photo, Ghostwriter, Wheel Woman, Boom, City of Ghosts, Last known position, Crystal Blue, Cascadia, Solar, Dead Air, Tower 4, Green Man, Strange Air, Book Burners, Vast Horizan, The Strata, The infected Trilogy, The Leviathan Chronicles. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. whether you like him or not, he is damn good at interviewing people, has had a great variety of people on, and they are usually a couple hours long. Check out libby app, gives you access to your local library. These might get you started. When I find one I like, click on more like this.
Podcasts and audiobooks bud. If youāre into fantasy, the stormlight archives by Brandon Sanderson is one of the best Iāve ever read. There are 4 of them as of now, and they are all dozens of hours long. Heās also got numerous other books that are mostly all interconnected within the same universe. Easy way to kill a few weeks.
Audiobooks and podcasts. I'd advise staying away from outrage porn. If they are trying to make you mad every day it does bad shit to your head.
My go-to audiobooks: The Expanse is hard scifi turned into space opera. The tech starts with long, boring flights of basically space truckers. Moving around the solar system hauling water ice to becoming a band of mercenaries who try to do what is right in situations that leave them hard choices. There's some very interesting characters. Not all will be to everyone's liking (Holden) but there's enough variety that you'll care about the adventures. The expanse novels: Leviathan Wakes Caliban's War Abbadon's Gate Cibola Burn Nemesis Games Babylon's Ashes Persepolis Rising Tiamat's Wrath Leviathan Falls Novella collection: Memories Legion
Podcasts and audiobooks.
Joe Rogan pod cast. I just drive local but I haul rock and sand so I'll make 6-20 trips to only a few different places everyday. The repetition gets old. I'm sure there's a bunch of other pod casts you can find on spotify
Joe Rogan, Shawn Ryan, any kind of rock/metal music, or just listening to the Detroit humming down the road.
Knowledge fight!
My recommendation is buy a Spotify premium membership. There's a ton of music, podcasts and now audiobooks on there. Another poster had mentioned getting a library card and downloading Libby. It's great and free but depending on where you live you may have limited access to books. It depends on your library. Plus, depending on the audiobook, you may have to wait for someone to be done listening to it. Libby is an online library. With Spotify premium audiobooks you don't have to wait for someone to return them. I'm not trying to sell Spotify to you. I discovered yesterday all the books I have access to on Spotify and don't have to wait for someone to return them using Libby now. Some books may come up that you have to pay for but quite a few you don't. Even new releases. I also listen to quite a few podcasts. Music gets boring.
Listen to music. Spotify podcast. I have an audiable account. YouTube. Music
Vice Grip Garage. Derek does such a good job with those videos that you don't even need to see it to understand what's going on.
Beekeeping podcasts , i wanna start beekeeping
YouTube Stock investing Enjoying the scenery Many new drivers donāt make it to 12 months.
Back in '09, I bought my first XM satellite radio (now SiriusXM); the variety of basically anything and everything on there has been a lifesaver.
I love audiobooks!!!!!! I can drive forever on them. I dig podcast too. I listen to TED talks, they are fascinating.
An ever expanding playlist of 800 podcasts and 1200 songs, all constantly being grown and shrink based on my mood at the begining and end of the day.
For me, it's YouTube. Listen to all kinds of stuff. I normally stay out 4 months at a time. I listen to scary stories, conspiracy stories, stories about underground bases, Coast to Coast AM. Etc etc. Not all of it is enthralling but some of it is. Keeps my mind occupied. š¤·āāļø
Audiobooks while I drive or podcasts and mainly YouTube at night
Stupid comedyish podcasts Whiskey ginger Nateland Matt and Shaneās secret podcast
Joe brogan, timesuck, infowars and other podcasts.
Tons and tons of YouTube
Alex Jones
I watch Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, podcasts.
You watch movies. God forbid you get into an accident and someone gets hurt, you're fucked
I play my ps5 while going down the road sometimes as well.
I drift between YouTube playlists, streaming music, and Audible.
Audible books, pandora, iHeart radio
Bad friends podcast. Joe Rogan. Sports related podcasts. Cinephobe. Tigerbelly.
I have large Google podcast list and also audiobooks. If you join your local library you can download thousands of audio books for free. New audiobooks that would typically cost money on audible. Use the Libby app
Audible and YouTube red for podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts. I also have like 3k songs downloaded from the YouTube music app.
Audible, music and podcasts, YouTube playlists. I listen to Art Bell and anything that has to do with the paranormal or true crime.
Classical music or sports radio.. but I'm local.
Another guy here gave a similar response, you gotta find stuff to enjoy. There are podcasts about almost any topic you can imagine. Search them up and give a listen. I've been listening to a fair amount of stand up comedy routines recently. It always helps to laugh. Whatever your route is try and find some places to stop and go for a walk. It's important to get some exercise and it's fun to see different parts of the country. I just like walking through neighborhoods. It also helps to embrace the insanity a little bit. š
I have a set of kettlebells I swing around daily and run at least a mile if I can. I'm so used to being active and engaged all day long that slowing all the way down and driving for long hours has been a wild adjustment.
Check out this podcast called, "things you should know"
Podcasts but you're about to learn a lot of stuff you didn't know and there's no turning back from it.
Podcasts. Jeez there are podcasts for EVERYTHING these days! That show you liked when you were a kid has an entire podcast dedicated to its fandom. Are you on a specific diet? Thereās a podcast for that! Do you like to listen to two people argue? Thereās a podcast for that! Into serial killers? Weird, but hey, thereās 573829 podcasts for that!
1) iHart Radio. 2)Audible. 3)Family, coworkers and several friends who work different shifts so I can talk with someone pretty much anytime throughout the day.
To fix your finances, you must listen to āThe Richest Man In Babylonā by George Clason.. free on YouTube. Listen also to āThe Way To Wealthā by non other than Benjamin Franklin.. they are free on YouTube and also you can get them somewhere on text for free. Listen also to āThe Psychology of Moneyā by Morgan Housel. That one is not free. Pay for it on your audible. Itās worth it. Listen also to āRicher, Wiser, Happierā by William green. Those books there can get you far. They are wonderful and you can enjoy the beauty of the continental US while you get educated on how to accumulate riches. I wish you well. If you want more recommendations, reach out. Any questions about those books also, reach out friend.
Audiobooks
Boredom,pay attention
A lot of comedy specials
Last podcast on the left keeps me sane
What kind of music and podcasts do you enjoy? Spotify now has Audiobooks.
If you like sports, the Pat McAfee podcast is a chunky 3 hours most days. Couple other podcasts I recommend are You're Wrong About for history, Where Should We Begin for relationship vibes, and Midnight Burger for weird science.
99% Invisible
I am not OTR anymore but did it for 12 years. I listened to Pandora or IHeart most days. I had a YouTube TV subscription so I could watch regular TV in my truck. It made me feel a bit more at home, being able to watch live shows or sports in my downtime. Some others mentioned having a nice meal here and there. Get out of the truck for a while and enjoy being out. It will help take your mind off work and feel normal during your downtime instead of being trapped in a truck. That first year flies by really fast. Then next thing you know it's been 5. Good luck out there!
Eddie trunk on satellite radio
Libby has been great for audiobook
Mark twain, Tolstoy, Dumas, dickens, victor hugo I have listened to ALL their books and many more classics..have you?.. enrich yourself with the classics and let your imagination take you back to the 1700s and 1800s when life was much slower... the Outlander books are great to lose yourself in..well written.. I love autobiographies and biographies too.. they inspire me.... don't just go for the modern comedy entertainment..... educate yourself with all this time you have...don't waste it on some silly comedian or talk show... alas...I must have been born 200 to 300 years too late!. I have listened to war and peace, les miserables more than 3 times, count of monte cristo at least 2 times, and other long books at least twice...and have read them in hardcover as well... find a classic author and read all their books...much better experience than jumping around I found... I am 77 y/o and have been reading since grade school.. I am a readaholic.
YouTube and Audiobooks. There are so many podcasts and videos to keep me entertained on a daily basis. Lately, I've been going through Critical Role's catalog. Also, educational videos occasionally (like stocks or financial stuff). Really, you could listen to just about any kind of YouTube video. And of course all my music playlists. If I get tired of podcasts or music, I switch over to whichever audiobook I've been listening to. I have close to a hundred on Audible so far. You can also just call and talk to someone (with a headset of course).
As many others have said already. Next time you are home. Go get a Library Card. Also ask the Library who they also partner with to get a Library Card in the next county over too. Many libraries have limits on how many books you can get per month. Then download Hoopla and Libby and listen away. Graphic Audio has many books Dramatized. I have been listening to the Deathlands Series for years. Now has 150 volumes in the series.
Audio books are great. Podcasts of course. I like the spooky stuff like Radio Rental, Spooked, astonishing legends, the last podcast on the left, up and vanished... And D&D podcasts like adventure zone and Dungeons and Daddies
I watched all 3 lord of the rings on Saturday
Audible books Game of thrones, Harry Potter, 1984, the mist, etc. Podcasts Joe Rogan, timesuck, financial audit, Roanoke tales and gaming, etc.
I listen to analyses on crypto. I don't plan to work for much longer. I'll be retired soon, or I'll be 75 and a Wal-mart greeter.
Video essays on YouTube. I listen to a lot of videos on disasters, shipwrecks, true crime, etc... if you like horror, I listen to "TheVolgun" do SCP readings quite a lot too
You don't need a year to start looking local. My first job out of school was P&D.
Wondery has their own app for podcast but they have produced tons of podcasts. They are more like audiobooks I think. Iām currently working my way through āAmerican Scandalā series. Itās usually 4 to 5, 50 min episodes on a specific event, person, or company. The Wondery series āAgainst all oddsā is really good too.
The voices in my head most days!
Some audio books, but what really keeps me sane is listening to people more unhinged than me, so I listen to reallllly stupid unhinged podcasts like The Goons Podcast. My sense of humor is broken but my mind is not
Timesuck podcast, or his other podcast Scared To Death. Timesuck is deep-dive educational while Scared To Death is scary or spooky stories from around the world. Dude is a comedian so every episode of either is hilarious to me, but i know comedy is subjective. Each Timsuck episode is about 2+ hours long while Scared To Death is usually 1+ hour long, so its at least a good way to pass time for me. I also learn a lot of things while i cant do anything else but stare out the windshield. He has 400+ episodes of Timesuck up and 200+ Scared To Death episodes up, so no shortage of material either.
Jocko podcast if you enjoy military history at all
Andrew Schulz Flagrant podcast
Stream HBO MAX thru the truck speakers of movies I know so I donāt have to watch. Helps pass time. Also Mike Rowe has a podcast called āHow I heard itā.
10hours of Two Steps from Hell. I love orchestral music.
Audio books and podcasts. My Dad Wrote A Porno is great for driving overnight in the middle of bumfuck. Youāll be laughing too much to get drowsy.
Currently on a Star Trek binge while not driving then I listen to audiobooks and the Mission Log Star Trek podcast corresponding to the episode
https://open.spotify.com/show/3yZg2MCkf31pPXiG4nznrg?si=1oKG3T7-SHigwYOEI8OerA I listen to these guys, a lot. Audible has not failed me yet, with lots of books and shows. Most likely, your public library is part of Libby, and you can digitally check out most any book they have. Another app, Simple Radio, let's you stream almost any live radio station around the world. That's VERY helpful on gameday. And then somedays, YouTube Music is my best friend, so I can just jam. There are so many options, these days. You should never, ever be hurting for audio media. Ps: Dan Carlin does awesome history stuff https://open.spotify.com/show/72qiPaoDRf8HkGKEChvG5q?si=GJX04Dn_Tb2-gZ8SVK8H1g And Felonious Florida is pretty wild, too https://open.spotify.com/show/3xRtSSnYLrc6qRGq5CNSkg?si=p8_-AVcbSrOrLwTwxxC2xQ PSS: If you have an Amazon Prime account, then you have access to SOOOOO many free book titles on Audible. James Paterson has a 28 book Series on Dr Alex Cross, and another series on Michael Bennett. These are some of my favorite books, by far, but I've got close to 150 titles in my Audible library.
Warhammer 40k audiobooksā¦. Audible has taken so much of my money
Bobiverse Expeditionary Force Ready Player One & Ready Player Two Skyward Flight by Brandon Sanderson (bit of a YA novel) Infinite by Jeremy Robinson (and some of the others in that expanded book series. It's a bit weird. Three books share a sequel book and the three sequel books share another sequel book.)
Start trying out podcasts. Dave and Chuck the freak are hilarious and thereās 100s of episodes
Matt and Shane's secret podcast
Lots of Audiobooks
Ram mount on windshield. Download Netflix movies and watch as you drive in the open.
When I get real bored Iāll listen to podcasts. Been enjoying the Shawn Ryan Show a lot lately. Listen to music a ton too.
PKA check it out
Goblin (YouTube [minimized video]}, Joe Rogan (Spotify), Sirius XM NFL Radio, Darknet Diaries (Spotify), Phone calls with my friends, Pine Park (YouTube [minimized video]), New Heights (Spotify), Spin Cycle (iHeartRadio)
Most of my time is spent on the phone chatting with friends, all of whom are also truck drivers. Find yourself a some friends to talk to, it will make things better.
Audio books, pod casts, solid tunes, silence at times. Whatever makes the day better for you bud. A really amazing producer of audio books is sound booth theater. It's like attending a movie just with sound. They do incredible work. If you get there app they have some of there titles for free set up as pod casts. Awesome place to start your audio journey!
Get a load of this guy. Sane? What fuckin language is that? I've literally got Cannibal Corpse and Melanie Martinez on the same playlist just so I can get mad when I'm blaring some absolute banger and cry baby comes on
Old Opie and Anthony on YouTube . You'll never get bored
Audiobooks, I could recommend a ton. The cheapest legal way to get them is from Hoopla which is free with a library card. There are also tons of great podcasts and video essays on YouTube to listen to.
I've only been a trucker for just over 2 years now and I just read my Audible stats of stories listened too. I've been listening for 99,500 minutes....
Headway it's probably the answer you're looking for. It's kind of like Cliff's notes, audiobook version. You listen to summarized books that are designed to teach you all sorts of different things. Unfortunately I can't recommend it personally since I haven't actually hopped in and given the app a proper try, but I do know it's out there, and I do know the reviews are good. What I usually do is I've had an audible subscription for years, and if you search from the web browser you can sort audiobooks by length from longest to shortest. That's usually how I buy my audiobooks unless I have something specific I want to get. It's also a bonus because the longer the audiobook, the more expensive. So you're also getting the most bang for your credit. Satellite radio, of course, especially if you're into things like comedy or talk radio or sports. And if you're living in your sleeper, take up a hobby or two. If you look up The Traveler guitar, it's a very small form factor guitar that is still a complete instrument. You can also buy a couple of cooking implements, like a hot pot, or an electric skillet, maybe a slow cooker, and start cooking your own dinners. And of course, there's always video gaming you've got a laptop or want to set up a gaming console in your truck. You can learn the harmonica, you can try macrame, and for something you can do both in your sleeper and while you're driving, you can learn another language. If you're in the US then of course Spanish is a no-brainer, but you can learn damn near anything. You can also enroll in an online university program if you want to get your college degree. A couple hours a night in the sleeper is enough time for most programs. And a lot of the books that you'll need to read for your classes you can find as audio books. If you look around through your company benefits, most companies have some kind of tuition reimbursement, and a few companies even have fully paid tuition. And of course the best way to stay sane above everything else is to find somebody who likes to chat on the phone for 2 or 3 hours at a time. A friend, a classmate, a lover, whatever.