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How to Stay in Touch When You’re OTR

Tips to help you stay in contact with loved ones!

One of the hardest parts of over-the-road (OTR) trucking for many drivers is the extended amounts of time that their jobs require them to spend away from their families. However, the good news today is that there are plenty of ways to stay connected with those you love while you are on the road!

Luckily, technology helps make it easier for truckers to stay in touch. Check out these neat apps that can help you stay in touch with your family and friends, no matter the distance.

Couple

Couple makes it easier than ever to keep in touch with that special someone you miss while you are away. This app is designed to let you do it all, from face time to sending videos, texts, or pictures, you can do it all with Couple! The app also comes complete with audio, doodles, customizable stickers, and private photo albums that you can use to share special moments. Finally, sharable to-do lists and calendars allow you to know what the other is doing or to share tasks that need to be done while you apart.

GroupMe

GroupMe is an app that’s great to use for a larger group of people. Whether it’s a close group of friends or your family, GroupMe allows you to keep in touch with everyone all in one place. You can create groups to message everyone at one time or carry on private conversations with people individually. The beauty of GroupMe is that you can have up to 200 people all in one group!

Skype

One of the most popular video chat apps available is Skype. It works across most platforms and is one of the best cross-platform options out there. Plus, Skype has the capability to do video calls with large groups!

Google Duo

Google Duo is one of the simplest chat apps available. It is a cross-app platform that works between iOS and Android devices. It has a simple login that allows you to connect with other Google Due users. It also a feature called “Knock-Knock” which lets you know what the caller is up to before answering.

Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is by far one of the most popular messaging apps in the US. While many do not like the app, so many use Facebook that it’s worth mentioning. The video chat experience works OK and, because it is so widely used, it is convenient for everyone to join a new platform.

There are a variety of video chat apps to choose from in addition to the 5 options listed above. Thanks to technology, it’s much easier for modern-day OTR truck drivers to stay in touch with their families while they are on the road.

Alternate Option: Send Snail Mail!

While video chat apps are an easy way to stay in touch, don’t forget that everyone loves to get things in the mail! Writing traditional letters or sending postcards is another fun way to stay in touch. Most truck stops will have all the supplies you need to send out snail mail including postcards, greeting cards, stamps, and even a mailbox to send the materials. Sending a postcard from each city you stop in is a fun way to share your travels with the ones you love!

 

Communicating is all about making some effort to stay in touch with your family and friends on a daily basis. Luckily technology makes it easier than ever to stay in contact with family and friends while you are on the road.

Feeling a bit homesick? Check out these 5 ways to handle homesickness as a trucker!