Across the United States, truck drivers spend millions of hours a year on the road. We were curious what our drivers listen to on those long hours on the open road, so we asked them. The answers were as varied as the drivers themselves.
Why is this interesting?
What do you listen to on your commute? On a road trip? Consider the amount of time you spend in your own passenger vehicle, then consider how much more time is spent driving and listening by professional truck drivers.
Audiobooks
According to our internal survey, only 14% of Matheson drivers listen to audiobooks. All of these drivers prefer non-fiction audiobooks to fictional stories. A survey monkey article states that more than 70% of audiobooks consumed by young professionals are done so while driving. One could make a large dent in their “to be read” list while getting paid.
Music
It has been possible for some time to hear whatever music you want to hear at any given moment through streaming technology. 66% of Matheson drivers stream music on Spotify, Pandora, or Apple music. Though AM and FM radio stations are not dead yet, 85% of drivers said they listen to traditional radio.
Podcasts
The rise of podcasts brought a new era to those who take in education and entertainment through the audio waves. 42% of the drivers surveyed listen to podcasts. Of the podcast listeners, 20% listen to comedy, 60% enjoy historically themed podcasts, 20% listen to political podcasts, and 60% listen to true crime stories.
Drivers are Unique
No two drivers are exactly alike, as evidenced by what they listen to behind the wheel. Hours spent consuming media through the means of sound gives drivers an edge that few of us have.
It has been said, “you are what you read”, perhaps in this instance, we could say, “you are what you listen to.”
