When you live life on the road like I do—driving a truck across the country week after week—you get used to being alone. It’s just you, the engine, the hum of tires, and thousands of miles of highway. But every once in a while, in the most unexpected places, you find people. Real people. The kind who turn a lonely job into something a little warmer.
I’ve made friends in truck stop diners, in line at fuel stations, over CB radio channels, and even during breakdowns on the side of the road. There’s something about being out here that strips away small talk. When you only have 30 minutes before you hit the road again, you skip the fluff. You get honest.
One time, I struck up a conversation with a fellow driver in Nebraska over who had the worst load that week. Turned out we were both hauling meat—his was leaking, mine was late. We shared a laugh, swapped numbers, and have been checking in on each other ever since.
Another time, I helped a new driver back into a tight spot at a crowded rest area. He was stressed and sweating bullets. I talked him through it, and later, we shared a midnight breakfast and talked about family, burnout, and the weird joy of catching a good sunset from your cab.
Friendships on the road are different. They’re fleeting sometimes—just a conversation, a cup of coffee, and then you’re both gone. Other times, they last. I’ve met people I still text every week. We might not see each other often, but we’re on the same map, living parallel lives with different routes.
And it’s not just other truckers. I’ve chatted with farmers at gas stations, night shift waitresses, mechanics, and the occasional curious traveler. The road brings together a strange mix of people you’d never meet in a normal 9-to-5 life.
These connections don’t fill the same space as being home with family, but they help. They remind you you’re not the only one out here. That even in the vast, empty stretches between cities, there’s still room for human connection.
So yeah, I’m alone most of the time. But I’m never really lonely. Not out here.
Not on the road.
Leave a Reply