As a professional truck driver, you need a good source of entertainment for the countless hours that you spend on the road. Luckily, the twenty-first century has brought plenty of podcasts for truck drivers—downloadable audio programs, similar to radio broadcasts, available free of charge over the internet.
The Best Podcasts for Truck Drivers
There are a plethora of good podcasts to listen to, regardless of where your interests lie. Podcasts can bring you your daily news, help you learn a foreign language, teach you a history lesson, bring you stand-up comedy or even appeal to your inner thrill-seeker with hook-and-twist dramas. There are thousands of podcasts available for downloading or streaming. That total is rising almost exponentially. So—given that there is this remarkable library of podcasts available for download, where does one begin? What are the best podcasts for truck drivers?
Check out this truck driver’s guide for choosing podcasts, download some episodes and take advantage of the endless information and entertainment that is available to you over the internet.
Best News Podcasts
Podcasts are an increasingly popular channel for news networks. News podcasts are great for truckers who rarely make it home to catch the evening news. Over 21% of Americans listen to podcasts monthly, and especially for the younger demographic, podcasts are a source of daily news. Here are five of the best news podcasts:
BBC Global News—the BBC world news podcast is the king of the castle. Produced twice daily on weekdays and once daily on the weekends, each 30-minute podcast gives you the best from the BBC World Service. By listening to this podcast daily, you are sure to attain literacy in the world’s development. From African elections to the rise of Donald Trump to the shakeup within the European Union, the BBC Global News podcast is sure to broaden your worldview.
NPR Hourly News Summary—yes, you read the title correctly—every hour, NPR releases a 5-minute podcast that keeps you up-to-date on what has happened in the previous 60 minutes. This is the best podcast for news junkies.
CNN 10—want the best of CNN in only 10 minutes? If so, you aren’t alone. CNN offers the public this 10-minute video podcast free of charge. Now, of course, don’t watch the video while you are on the road, but for breaks and rest stops, CNN 10 is a good news podcast.
PBS News Hour—this is another video news podcast. Bringing the best stories from PBS news, this anchored program more or fewer ups the ante in news podcasting—it is, essentially, a free of charge, fully produced news show that is available for download.
Best Business Podcasts
If you like to monitor the world of business and economics, podcasts have you covered.
BBC Business Daily—the BBC gets yet another mention, as the BBC Business Daily program is published every weekday and covers one economic/business topic. Recent podcasts have delved into the topics of bionics, drones and driverless cars. This is a good podcast to listen to for those looking to keep up to date on technological and economic trends.
Entrepreneur on Fire— for those of you who binge-watch shows like Shark Tank, Entrepreneur on Fire is your kind of podcast. Every episode, the program features an entrepreneur that offers insight and recollections of their business experiences.
Duct Tape Marketing—this podcast will surely get the creative wheels turning for small trucking company owners and owner-operators. This may be the internet’s best marketing podcast. Each episode features a different marketing expert providing insight on some facet of marketing, from attaining the right frame of mind for business success to successfully selling your business on the internet.
Thought-Provoking Podcasts for Truck Drivers
If you are looking to channel your inner philosopher or deep-thinker on the road, here are a couple of podcasts that cover a wide array of topics and will challenge your views.
U.S. Intelligence2 Debates—moderated by John Donvan, U.S. Intelligence2 Debates tackle some of our society’s most controversial topics by pitting experts in academia, government and business against one another in an Oxford-style debate competition. What is your stance on immigration? Health care reform? President Obama’s foreign policy? Listen to experts argue for and against a multitude of related topics and judge for yourself who made the most compelling argument, and more importantly, secure a well-founded defense of your own, personal stance on each issue after hearing what the experts have to say.
Freakonomics Radio—inspired by the series of best-selling books, Freakonomics Radio airs weekly and covers a wide array of economic and social phenomena. Episodes usually last for around 45 minutes, and cover everything from migration and the gender pay gap to “becoming great at just about anything.”
Science Vs.— this up-and-comer has already won itself a reputation as one of the internet’s best science podcasts. Hosted by Wendy Zukerman, the show gives listeners an inside look at some scientific concepts that are both intriguing and explained in layman’s terms. Science Vs. has received great ratings and is set to produce more episodes in the near future.
No Such Thing as a Fish— this podcast is wholly dedicated to bringing you fun facts. The research team behind the television show QI have over 140 episodes that bring the audience some fun—or even bizarre—pieces of little-known information.
Best History Podcasts
Looking to show off your abilities as a history buff? Podcasts want to help you with that. Check out some of the best history podcasts available for download.
Revisionist History— a show written and hosted by The New York Times Best–Seller Malcolm Gladwell, Revisionist History is dedicated to examining certain historical events or figures in a different light. Hosted by the critically acclaimed novelist and journalist, Revisionist History is guaranteed to provide you with a new viewpoint on various historical instances. Also, deliver an analysis that is written with the tact and beauty of an acclaimed novelist.
15 Minute History—short, sweet and simple; that is the mantra of the History Department at the University of Texas at Austin. Covering a broad range of topics, the 15 Minute History podcast brings you a brief account of historical events, as described by grad students and professors. This is the ideal podcast for the truck driving history buff.
Hardcore History— hosted by Dan Carlin, the Hardcore History podcast takes a tough-guy approach to history. The show is known for making you question and compare some of history’s most prominent events and leaders. Carlin is an experienced journalist, and Hardcore History and its sister show, Common Sense, have slated themselves as among the most downloaded programs in the world of podcasts.
Stuff You Missed in History Class—we all dozed off in history class as high schoolers. Tracy Wilson and Holly Frey get it—and they’ve got you covered. This is one of the best history podcasts out there, and it may have the most comprehensive range of topics.
Sports Podcasts
Many of you are probably saying, “Now, we are talking!” There are dozens of strong sports podcasts that are released weekly that bring you all of the news and opinions from your favorite sportscasters.
Mike & Mike— Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic have been breaking down American sports for years, and they are keystones in ESPN Radio’s daily lineup. They debate all of the latest developments surrounding your favorite teams and players from the NFL, NBA, MLB and more—for free, via the internet!
Know Them from Adam— Adam Shecfter, the inside-guy for all things NFL, bring you his latest from the world of professional football every week on this sports podcast. If you’re a football fanatic that wants to get the scoop on what will happen to your favorite team, this is the podcast you should download.
Courtside with Katz & Coach G— can’t wait another day for March Madness? You don’t have to. Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg deliver a weekly basketball podcast, solely dedicated to college hoops.
Outside the Lines Podcast—a well-known show on ESPN, Outside the Lines also produces a daily podcast. OTL is unique in that it focuses on the “personal” side of sports—in essence, it talks about what goes on off the field with athletes, teams and culture.
First Take— anybody that watches sports news knows who Stephen A. Smith is. The boisterous, contentious and well-spoken sports orator takes on Max Kellerman every day to debate the top stories in the world of sports. Their popular television show is released daily as a podcast, too—so if you miss it because you are on the road, never fear. You can take the debate to go.
Best Radio Drama Podcasts
Not a sports person, history buff or a newsy? Not a problem. Vintage-styled radio dramas have seen a resurgence as the podcast becomes mainstream. There are remarkably entertaining radio drama podcasts being produced—here are some of the best. These will keep you hooked on those long-hauls.
Serial— this is the first radio drama to gather a cult following in quite a while—in its first two seasons, the Serial podcast has been a sensation and taken home several prestigious awards. Each season of Serial follows a true story with a surprise ending, and it is the can’t-miss podcast for those that like radio drama podcasts.
Lore—the Lore podcast isn’t a drama, per se. Rather, it is a podcast that tells real-life horror stories. If you are looking for a scary podcast, look no more. Yikes.
Homecoming— are you a fan of psychological thrillers, like Shutter Island or A Beautiful Mind? If so, then the Homecoming podcast is perfect for you. Produced by Gimlet Media, Homecoming is a popular drama starring big names, such as David Schwimmer (but you probably know him as Ross, from Friends).
The Archers—The BBC brings you The Archers podcast, a contemporary drama set in rural England. It is currently the media giant’s most popular radio drama.
Home Front—another BBC drama, this time about a band of characters stationed in England during World War One. BBC radio dramas have great writing and are endlessly entertaining—the Home Front podcast is no exception.
Comedy Podcasts
The news can be depressing, dramas can be heavy, history can get dull, and sports can get worn-out during the offseason—sometimes you need some comic relief!
Comedy Bang! Bang!—this is the internet’s best known comedy podcast. With host Scott Aukerman, each episode features a celebrity guest interview that suddenly gets interrupted by improv characters. The Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast is hilarious.
WTF with Marc Maron—listen to the side-splitting interviews conducted in Marc Maron’s trademark dark humor. Big names are starting to come in as guests—Maron even got President Obama to stop by.
How Did This Get Made?—do you ever wonder how on earth some movies even made it to the silver screen? So do the folks from the How Did This Get Made? podcast. The show’s hosts dedicate every episode to the complete and merciless critique of some of Hollywood’s most embarrassing products.
Trucking Podcasts
There are some trucking-specific podcasts, too. One is a drama, and one takes you through the life and times of a trucker. Check out these podcasts for truck drivers specifically:
Trucker Dump – This podcast offers insights from a truck driver with a humorous (and truthful) take of life on the road. When you’re stuck in another 2-hour long traffic jam because some jerk thought he could drive 90mph in the middle of a snowstorm and caused an accident…… sometimes you just need a chuckle courtesy of someone who’s also been there!
Alice Isn’t Dead—the Alice Isn’t Dead podcast follows the story of a truck driver who scours the United States in search of his long-lost wife, previously thought to be dead. This serial fiction podcast is packed with conspiracies, twists, turns and trucking.
Trucking Podcast—this is a podcast by a trucker, for truckers. The podcast’s creator, Buck Ballard, gave his show the mantra, “helping you make more money and rediscover the adventure.” This is a great resource for truckers and can provide some entertainment on the road.
America’s Truckin’ Network – You’ll need the iHeartRadio app to listen to this one anytime. Or, just tune in nightly from 12am-5a on 700WLW.
It can be tough to find new sources of entertainment as a trucker—you do, after all, spend between eight and ten hours each day on the road. When you’ve listened to all of your CD’s, the radio is stale and you need something new, turn to podcasts. Podcasts can bring you your daily news, capture you in the throws of a drama and teach you something new about science or history. They are a great resource.
Financial Resources for Truck Drivers
Are you looking for some financial resources, too? Factor Finders’ services can help. Request a quote and check out information on how a freight factoring company can help your business and provide cash advances to cover fuel costs. Stop wasting unnecessary cash and grow your fleet.
If you could use some new tunes, check out our recommended truck driving songs!
