Hobbies for Women Truck Drivers in Small Spaces
Updated: Sep 18, 2022
Discover over 25 different hobbies for women truck drivers.
A few of them are FREE!
It is going to happen, you will be waiting on a load, or maybe you're stuck in a blizzard.
What kind of hobbies can a trucker do inside the cab of a truck?
I have had a variety of hobbies over my trucking career. I know that everyone is different. We all enjoy things to keep us busy.
Hopefully, one of these hobbies will interest you.
These ideas are not limited to female truck drivers they can be hobbies that a male truck driver might enjoy.
These hobbies are also great for anyone living in a small space, such as a tiny house, camper, RV, or studio apartment.
I have compiled a list of over 25 hobbies, keep reading, and I will discuss each one.
Paper Crafts
Drawing
Artist Trading Cards
Postcards
Writing/Blogging
Poetry
Origami
Quilling
Bead Making
Fiber Arts
Knitting
Crocheting
Ravelry
Embroidery
Cross Stitch Patterns
Quilting and Sewing
Miscellaneous
Legos
Rubix’s Cube
Balloon Animals
Playing Cards
Reading & Audio Books
Video Games
Outdoors
Photography
Bicycling
Walking
Running
Fishing
Bird-watching
Before we start, I have a few advice for staying organized and ways to minimize hobbies so that you can take advantage of several different storage ideas that will use up less space.
Stay Organized
Before we even begin discussing different hobbies, I need to express the importance of organization inside your truck.
Many of the female truckers I have met have had clean trucks.
It is a natural desire for things to be in a particular place. When I am living in the cab of my truck for weeks, it is even more important to be organized.
I have seen many men's trucks that looked like drivers just piled stuff on top of more stuff. Coke cans and empty food containers are all over the floors.
As a woman truck driver, I hope your truck is more organized than that.
The cab of a truck is a tiny space. After you put your clothes, bedding, tools, and appliances inside, the space gets even smaller.
You definitely don’t want your craft supplies crammed into every nook and cranny you can find.
Designate a shelf or cubby just for your craft supplies.
Buy small totes and binders to keep your items organized.
If you like scrapbooking or other paper crafts, keep a binder to file your paper goods.
If you are into computers, games, and other electronics, Amazon has this organizer to keep all of your cords and plugins in one place.
Keep electronics, like a Kindle or computer, in a protective sleeve that will keep your device from getting broken if it falls on the floor.
The organization will help you find craft supplies easily, but the organization also provides you with more time to create during downtime. When you know where you put everything, you can find it faster. And having to put supplies up quickly when you need to move your truck out of the dock is a breeze.
Don’t Keep All Recyclable Scraps.
I am so guilty of this!
I want to keep every snippet of paper, every inch of yarn, and every scrap of fabric.
I have learned the hard way that if I keep all of these little pieces, eventually, I will have nowhere to store all the new stuff I want to play with.
If you just can’t bring yourself. All to throw them away, save your scraps until you return home from your long over-the-road trip.
Elementary schools and daycares can use these little bits and pieces to make art projects for the children.
You can also check with your local church or nursing home.
One Project At A Time
My major downfall is that I want too many projects in progress at once.
I can be knitting a sweater, crocheting a throw, making beads, and sewing a quilt simultaneously. I like to have ten different hobbies going on at the same time.
My reasoning is that one day I may not be in the mood to knit, but I feel like putting a puzzle together.
When I am at home, I have room to work on many different projects at once.
The cab of my truck gets crowded when I work on more than one hobby at a time.
Once you finish one project, you can bring the supplies for another project from home.
I find that keeping two projects to work on keeps me from having nothing to do if I complete the first project while on the road.
Paper Crafts
Paper crafts involve paper of any kind, below are a few that do not take much room to store.
Many of these can be stored in the pocket behind your seat or in a small cubby.
Drawing
For drawing, you will need a notepad and a pencil or a pen.
The drawing needs simple items that can be stored in a cubby or small tote.
You can draw your truck, the people you see, or even the scenery.
Artist Trading Cards
Another popular drawing pastime is Artist Trading Cards.
These cards are miniature works of art measuring 2.5” x 3.5”.
Many artists create beautiful miniature drawings, paintings, and other art forms.
Artists trade the finished cards with other ATC artists. Some artists sell these miniature masterpieces.
Check out this great article by Marion Boddy-Evans of ThoughtCo.
What is an Artist Trading Card or ATC?
Postcards
Postcards are a great hobby for truckers.
As you travel across the country, keep an eye out for different postcards. Many truck stops and welcome centers carry unique postcards.
If you are artistic, you can buy blank postcards, create a masterpiece, and then send it to your loved one.
I love sending and receiving postcards from all across the world. If you get home several times a week or have someone to gather your mail, you could join Postcrossing.
All you need to do is signup, write a nice message to a new friend, and write the tracking number on the postcard so the receiver can enter that he or she received your postcard. Then a random person sends you a postcard. once you receive it, you enter online that you have received your new postcard.
My younger sister, Sotera still has postcards I mailed to her from all over the U.S.
Just get a book of stamps, a pen, and a postcard, write a note and drop it in the mailbox.
I like having the postmark stamp on the postcards, providing the city and state they were mailed from.
Writing
Writing takes only a few materials that you can get on Amazon. A pen, and a small notebook, can provide you with hours of fun. With these two items, you have all you need to write stories and blogs or just keep a list of fun things you’ve seen about how you feel as a female truck driver in a male-dominated industry.
Keep a diary of all your unique experiences as a woman driver, like when that man said, "You can't back truck," before yovarious even begin backing in.
Over my trucking career, I wish I had kept a list of all those times something like that happened. If I got a dollar for each one, I would be rich.
You can also do the same thing with a laptop. An advantage of a laptop is you can post your story or ideas to a blog or other platform to share with others.
If you do record all of your stories on a computer, create a backup copy or save your writing to Google Drive or another type of digital storage.
I have set up my website with Wix, an online web host. With its drop and drag abilities, Wix has been very simple for me to set up and easily post entries to my blog.
I have tried other online website hosting platforms that were confusing to me.
When I did have a technical issue, I sent an email and received a call back within a few minutes. Wix provided trained personnel that walked me through the process. The gentleman I talked to was very nice and helpful. When I was frustrated, he asked if he could log into my computer to fix the problem, and within a few minutes, the problem was solved.
If you want to try it, follow this link to Wix's Home Page to get started.
Poetry
Poetry is another great hobby that can be undertaken with just a pen and paper, but if you have a tablet, computer, or even your smartphone, you can create beautiful poems.
Write a poem about a beautiful morning sunrise or the snow-covered mountains of Colorado.
You can even write a poem about trucking; if I get enough submissions, I will create a blog post to showcase all the fabulous poems.
You can email them to me at admin@thetruckingscribe.com and write in the subject line POETRY.
I will try to read and reply as quickly as I can.
Origami
Origami is another paper hobby. All you do is fold a flat square piece of paper to create animals and other objects.
Learning how the folds need to be turned takes practice to create a beautiful swan. With practice, you will improve, just like learning to drive a truck.
Send me pictures of your artwork!
But it is a very inexpensive hobby that takes up a little space.
Any paper that will hold a crease will work. You can recycle old papers, maps, and brochures that you can find at many truck stops, rest areas, and welcome centers.
Making this a Free hobby.
Check out Origami Easy Origami Instruction and Diagrams.
Quilling
Quilling is an art form that involves strips of paper rolled and shaped into decorative designs.
Strips of paper can be rolled, looped, twisted, and glued together to create beautiful works of art.
You can buy precut strips of paper on Amazon, along with a slotted tool that helps make the paper curling much easier to manage, but you can also use a pen or other round object to wrap the paper strips around.
If you want to cut your own strips of paper, you can buy a paper cutter that will allow you to cut even strips of varying sizes. Or just use scissors and a ruler to draw even lines and cut your strips. Grab a small tote, and you have a fantastic hobby that can be stored in a small space.
Check out Quilling 101:Learn the Basics of Quilling Paper.
Making Beads
While we are still discussing paper hobbies, did you know paper can be used to make beads for jewelry?
A friend of mine keeps all the church bulletins left after the service. She then takes the paper, cuts it into various sizes and widths, and rolls them around with a pen or pencil.
Gather everyday household items, a ruler, pair of scissors, washable school glue in stick or liquid form, a pen or skewer, and nail polish.
Then check out this great video by, The Potomac Bead Company, How to Make Paper Beads. to learn how to make paper beads.
Fiber Arts
Fiber arts include hobbies that use yarn, thread, and fabrics to create clothing, blankets, tapestries, and other textile creations.
Knitting
Knitting has grown in popularity as a fiber arts craft these last few years. You can get started with very little, a skein of yarn, a set of knitting needles, a darning needle, and maybe a pair of scissors.
You can make small projects such as a pair of socks that will fit into a small bag. Or larger projects like a nice warm, comfortable sweater or an even bigger project such as a throw or blanket for your bed.
A blanket or throw will keep you, or a loved one warm on those cold days.
If you know how to knit, there are many tutorials online.
When I started knitting about a year ago, I came across a YouTube video made by Jana at Purl Together.
She is a wonderful no-nonsense kind of teacher.
Jana teaches the basics of knitting, but she also reinforces the idea that.
“You are the boss of your knitting!”
Jana has taught me how to make several pairs of socks, and I enjoy watching her tutorials. Find Jana at Purl Together on Youtube.
Yarn and knitting needles come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. For a beginner, I would recommend starting with wool yarn. Knit Picks Wool of the Andes comes in an array of colors.
Acrylic yarns are more slippery and do not hold their shape like wool.
If you use a better yarn to start with, it will be much easier to learn to knit or crochet.
There are many different kinds of knitting needles that you can purchase. I personally love the ChiaoGoo Red Twist Needles that I bought on Amazon. These needles are made of metal that helps the yarn slide off the needles faster. ChiaoGoo Red Twist Needles have durable red cables. The tips of the needles can be interchanged, providing various sizes. ChiaGoo needles come with a beautiful black pouch with a red ribbon.
However, if a beginner, I would recommend a variety pack of knitting needles that includes a metal set of needles, a wooden set of needles, and a cubic set of needles. It took me a while to figure out which side of the knitting needles is preferred.
If I had bought the variety pack, I would have been able to choose which one I liked better.
Although I love all of my different knitting needle sets, I use wooden needles for slippery yarn and metal needles for wool yarn.
Crochet
Crochet is another fiber arts craft. All you need to make a pair of socks, a stuffed animal, sweaters, blankets, and much more is a crochet hook, a skein of yarn, scissors, and a darning needle.
I learned to crochet at 14, during a 2-week summer visit with my Grandma. She taught me how to crochet a beautiful baby blanket more of the size of a doll blanket, but I was so proud of it. Although the blanket was small, Grandma gave me the skills to make many more blankets and doll dresses over the years.
Here is a photo of one of several hundred doll my Grandma made for her children, grandchildren, and friends.
You can create a keepsake for your children or grandchildren that they will keep for years. They will think of you and your love for them every time they look at it.
To learn how to crochet, check out Tamara's blog, Moogly. Tamara has great patterns and provides great video tutorials.
Ravelry
Ravelry is a free online forum for Knitters and Crocheters. Ravelry has all kinds of free patterns, from beginner to advanced crafters. You can also create your account for free, upload pictures of your work in progress, buy or sell patterns, join groups, and enjoy viewing the beautiful fiber arts displayed.
If you set up an account, look for me, I am esthersteele24.
I made a crocheted bunny for Easter for my mom several years ago.
You can see how far I have come in my knitting and crocheting journey.
Embroidery
Embroidery is a fiber art that has been passed down thru generations.
With just a needle, embroidery thread, a piece of fabric, and a hoop, you can make beautifully embroidered wall hangings or even embroider your clothes with flowers and other decorations.
Cross stitch pattern
Cross stitch is another fiber art that has been passed down for generations. You can pick up a kit on Amazon that has everything you need to create a magnificent wall hanging.
Quilting/Sewing
Are you into sewing or quilting? Do you have a few options?
You can use a needle and thread in so fabric together by hand as they did in the old days to create clothes or beautiful quilts.
Many people who hand-sew quilts draw a square, a rectangle, or even a hexagon on the wrong side of the fabric. The latest trend is sewing hexagons together. You take two pieces of fabric and a few pins to match up the lines you drew on the back of the fabric. Then you sew one side to another piece of fabric. Eventually, you create a handmade quilt top. After you finish sewing the pieces together, the top is complete. Then you add a layer of batting and a bottom layer of fabric, then insert quilting safety pins through all layers to hold them together. After you hand quilt the layers together, you will have an heirloom for future generations.
However, if you are adventurous, you can use a sewing machine. You put it on a foldable table and create a beautiful quilt. You don't need to worry about cutting fabric with all the precut fabrics on Amazon.
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous hobbies are just hobbies that seem to have a definite group, but they all are worth a try. All of these are from my childhood, but they are still just as great as an adult.
Legos
You have to be a kid to love Legos.
These days, Legos come in many different shapes and sizes to create magnificent worlds. From Voltron to Comics, Legos come in various themes.
Build a fantasy world of your own.
I decide between the Taj Mahal or Harry Hogwarts Castle.
The Disney Lego set has over 4000 bricks, with Mickey, Minnie, and a few of their friends.
The Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle set is the second largest that Lego produces, with over 6000 pieces. You can work on this project for several months.
Rubik’s Cube
I can remember playing with a Rubik Cube as a child. I sat for hours trying to get the colors to line up.
Now items similar to a Rubik's Cube can be square, triangular, or pentagonal in shape. With all these new shapes, I am sure you will find one that you will love.
Puzzles strengthen the mind, help in problem-solving, and help calm the mind.
Balloon animals
Grab some good-quality balloons and practice making different animals, swords, flowers, and hats. The array of balloon creatures you can make is only limited by your imagination. At parties, you'll be a hit with the kids.
Check out Wayne Kawamoto's post on The Spruce Crafts website. Five Balloon Animals You Need to Know for Parties.
Playing Cards
A deck of cards can be used to play solitaire. But they can be used to practice magic tricks to go with your balloon animals.
Build a house of cards, granted it will fall when the forklift hits the back of your trailer, so save this one for a 34-hour reset.
If you're into playing casino games, you can practice dealing cards with the fancy hand tricks of trained casino dealers.
You can also become a collector of playing cards. With all of the different designs, there is an endless supply.
Books & Audio Books
Reading paperback books takes up a lot of space. Why not take advantage of the Kindle Fire that can store thousands of books and audiobooks? With a Kindle Fire, you can add a MicroSD card that will allow you to download even more books to read and more audiobooks to listen to.
If you don't want to buy a Kindle device, you can also download Kindle's app to a tablet or a laptop for reading thousands of books.
Kindle also offers free books for download, but if you join KindleUnlimited, you can read over 1 million titles and listen to thousands of audiobooks.
Kindle is offering a 30-day free trial. Then if you decide you can't live without all of those books and audiobooks, you pay $9.99 a month.
During my downtime, I love to read books and magazines. Yes, I read many other articles online, like this one, but there is something about picking up a great book and entering a whole new world.
The characters come alive in my mind as the author describes the hurtles each character has to jump.
On the other hand, I can not read a book while driving, but I can listen to an audiobook. If you are not used to listening to an audiobook, keeping your mind on the reading can be difficult. I turn up the speed on my audiobook so that the speaker is talking faster.
My brain works faster than the spoken word. I can read faster in my mind than I can speak the content. Just be aware that if others only hear a small portion of audio being read faster, they might think you are listening to chipmunks. At least that's what my sister tells my mom.
Video Game
Video games appeal to a wide variety of people. Undoubtedly, you could play many of the action games for da"s on end. This would be something to do during an extended period of down time or even just that hour it takes to get unloaded.
I wouldn't know where to begin with so many different gaming consoles and thousands of games to choose from. But I will provide you with a few links to decide which one"you like.
Xbox Series S – Fortnite & Rocket League Bundle
Get the all-digital Xbox Series S – Fortnite & Rocket League Bundle featuring the Midnight Drive Pack, 1,000 V-Bucks, and 1,000 Rocket League credits.
If you are a Playstation fan, a PlayStation 5 Console Stunning Games - Marvel at incredible graphics and experience new PS5 features.
With the Xbox and Playstation, you need television and an inverter or ac outlet in your truck.
Other gaming options include handheld devices such as the Nintendo 2DS XL -with Mario Kart 7 Preinstalled.
Outdoors
Outdoor activities are a great hobby, especially when you are usually stuck inside a truck.
As you engage in any of these outdoor hobbies, be aware of your surroundings, keep your cellphone with you and charged at all time.
Photography
I love to take photos of shipping docks, buildings, bridges, and even truck stops.
Be aware of your surroundings while taking photos.
I use a Nikon DSLR Camera that I bought on Amazon. It came in a bundle that includes - Nikon D3400 24.2MP DSLRcan'tCamera w/ 18-55 and 70-300 lens / 64GB Memory Card / Telephoto Lens / Wide Angle Lens / 3-Piece Filter Kit / Digital Slave Flash / Wireless Shutter Release / 58" Tripod / DSLR Accessories Bundle with BagNikon Authorized Dealer - Includes USA Manufacturer's Warranty.
If I forget my Nikon DSLR camera, I use the camera on my iPhone for an unexpected photo opportunity.
I love to take photos of the world around me. Just be aware that taking pictures of other people and "posting the photos publicly needs the permission of the person in the photo. While other photos may have copyright images. It is okay to take these photos for private use.
Bicycling
Bicycling can be a fun, cost-free activity after buying the bicycle. When you are on your 34 hours reset or just taking your 10-hour break, you can take a ride on your bicycle to take in the beauty of your area.
Tractor Trailers are not welcome in many places, but riding a bicycle will get you to all those places you wish you could, like downtown restaurants and other attractions.
If you own your own truck or if your company will allow it, you can put a bicycle mount on the back of your cab, or you could buy a folding bicycle on Amazon.
Bicycling is a great way to exercise, but so is walking.
Walking
Walking is another free activity. Grab a pair of tennis shoes, sunglasses, a bottle of water, cellphone, and start walking. I have seen many men walking around the truck stop parking lot to get their daily walk-ins.
But I would advise women not to walk around a truck stop parking lot. The men sitting in their trucks are watching. If you like being leered at or mistaken for a lot lizard (prostitute), that is your choice, but inside the truck stop would be a better choice.
If you are a lady and must walk in a truck stop parking lot, make sure you walk during the day.
Do not walk in between trucks where you can not be seen by others. Predators may be hiding under a trailer, waiting for you to walk by.
Running
Running and walking is a free hobby. You need the same things for both.
Just remember to be aware of your surroundings.
Since you will likely be sweaty, plan to take a shower after runnin
Fishing
Fishing while trucking is one of those hobbies that can be preplanned or a happy occurrence If you are familiar with your route, you probably know of some great fishing holes.
However, you can grab your bicycle, a fishing pole, and a water bottle and ride down the road to a nearby lake. It's a great way to do two hobbies at once.
Bird-watching
Bird-watching can be done from the comfort of the driver's seat of your truck or while walking, running, bicycling, or fishing. Birds are everywhere. You caPotter's take pictures with your cellphone or a digital camera.
Grab a pencil and notepad to create a work of art, and draw the beautiful details of the birds you see.Rubik'sMake sure to put a place, date, and time on each drawing. You will be amazed at how time flies. In years to come, you will look back at your bird drawings and remember the enjoyment of the day and how you have improved your drawing over the years.
From paper crafts, fiber arts, legos, balloon animals, and video games to walking and fishing, I have provided you with over 25 hobbies that female truckers can do. While at the same time, a male trucker can be just as happy with these small space hobbies.
What is your favorite hobby?
Leave me a comment below. If it's not already on the list, I may just have to add it!