10-4 Magazine / April 2026 43 Word to the wise – they have sunscreen and blockers for those of us “snowbirds” who haven’t seen the sun for weeks or even months. When it comes to the early days of sun exposure, I like to refer to rule #1: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should! I will leave it at that, but when you can’t walk right or lean back in the seat, don’t say you were not warned. There is such a thing as sun poisoning and it will restrict your ability to drive for longer than 20 minutes. I’m just saying, use common sense and better judgment. I used the sunburn analogy as an easy example because there are drivers who don’t think much further ahead of themselves than 15 minutes. Finally, you are all loaded up and ready to roll, checked your load, done the pre-trip, slammed it in gear, and it’s go time. It doesn’t take long for the temps to drop, then summer rapidly changes to spring, then right back to winter conditions. What can be the problem? Did you forget about turning off the A/C and cranking the heater a few hours ago? We have all seen the drivers get out of their truck at the fuel stop in shorts, flip flops and a tank top, glowing like a neon sign, and neglecting to wear the appropriate clothing for the changing weather conditions. Maybe you should have changed your clothing to long pants (trousers for men) and a shirt with sleeves instead of cranking the heat before you left the warm weather. Should we even talk about wearing flip flops in the slush and snow while at the fuel island? Why is that any issue to us? It’s not, their poor judgment doesn’t need to affect your personal decisions, only you can make those choices for yourself. Springtime is a common season for getting the sniffles and/or a head cold with that annoying cough that hangs on for far too long. So, most of us go to the self-service counter and grab some cold or allergy meds and then shoot right back out the door and then down the road to our next assignment. Two cups of coffee, three heavy dose aspirin, a couple swigs of cold medicine (liquid), and then let the sweats begin. Three days later, the cough has become a full-time companion, often ripping your chest apart and distracting you from focusing on the road, and that splitting headache that awakened you early this morning hasn’t lessened any after 1000 mg of pain reliever. After a strenuous bout of hacking and struggling to get your wind, you collect some of your composure and then grab another hit from the cough syrup. We all know, what goes up, must come back down, and the same holds true for the dreaded head cold – what starts on top will definitely proceed down. First the sinuses, then the throat, then the lungs, and finally the stomach (oh the stomach). It’s hard to make miles when you are jumping off at every other exit to make a quick trip for... well, you know what for, and it’s not to sightsee at the nearest Buc-ee’s gas station. If you’re lucky, it will eventually pass, and life will get back on track in a few days. But what happens when it doesn’t? Sometimes the symptoms continue to hold on, and your condition continues to get worse. You start to lose energy, your appetite goes south, and pretty soon you find yourself bundled up under a blanket, huddled in the fetal position, somewhere in the bunk. You can’t sleep or stay awake, it’s impossible to get a good deep breath of air, your fever is through the roof, and you are physically shot. What’s next? Do you find an ER or a clinic, or do you just keep trying to go forward? That load must go on, right? Especially after everything dispatch said (dispatch says a lot of stuff – most of which is a lie to get you moving). After decades of crisscrossing this nation, I can honestly say I never checked myself into a medical center when I was on the road. However, I have shut down and locked myself in the bunk to “sweat it out” a few times. In hindsight, I will admit, there have been times when I should have headed to the doctor. Luck may have been on my side then, but at some point, we all over hedge our bets. Las Vegas isn’t the only place you can play the odds, just remember, “When you gamble with your health the table always wins!” If you are wondering why I’m on this health kick, let me explain. First off, finding available health care while on the road can be more than just a challenge, especially if you’re not feeling good to begin with. Second, if you can find a caregiver who will see you on short notice, can you get to them in an expedited fashion? There doesn’t seem to be parking for large trucks at most of the hospitals and many of the walk-in clinics are located in strip malls or out of the way places that are not truck friendly. However, if you are diligent and a little creative, you will find that they receive delivery orders often in the rear of or under the main floors (many of which
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