A Driver’s Gas-Station-Free Road Routine
Description
Ask a driver with millions of safe miles what he gets at the gas station and the answer turns out to be: nothing, ideally.
Robbie Howell's routine is the grocery store instead, and then he pulls out a bicycle and goes for a ride to see what he can find. That's a small answer to a genuinely difficult problem. Health outcomes for long-haul drivers are meaningfully worse than for the general population, and the reason isn't mysterious — the food available at three in the morning at a truck stop is what it is, and the job is fundamentally sedentary.
A bike in the truck solves both halves at once. It gets you to actual groceries and it gets you moving, which is why it keeps showing up as a strategy among drivers who last decades rather than years. Worth noting that this comes from the same driver who's still going strong past the age most people retire, and who plans to reassess at 70.
What's your gas station order? Doug Andrus wants to hear it — roller food, sit-down restaurants, or the same McDonald's every time. And the real question: what's the one gas station special every driver needs to try? For more from Robbie, see his trading card or full testimonial. Open positions · (800) 336-1034
Video Transcript
Hey Robbie, what's your gas station order?
Uh — my main goal is to never get anything. I usually go for the grocery store, pull out a bicycle, and go for a ride to see what I can grab.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do truck drivers eat healthy on the road?
Robbie Howell's approach is to skip truck stop food entirely, shop at grocery stores, and carry a bicycle to get there. Planning ahead and keeping a fridge or cooler stocked are the common threads among drivers who manage it.
Can you keep a bike in a truck?
Many drivers do. It solves transportation at stops and adds daily activity to an otherwise sedentary job. Doug Andrus orders the largest sleeper configurations available, which helps with storage.
Why is driver health a concern in trucking?
The work is sedentary, sleep schedules are irregular, and the most convenient food is often the least nutritious. It's a well-documented issue across the industry, and small routines like this one are how experienced drivers manage it.