The love of the open street, together with high quality time spent collectively, drives their ardour for trucking. Though they benefit from the wide-open vistas that unfold exterior their truck, they’re content material to share the comparatively small cab that’s their residence for days at a time.
Shabnam and Balwinder Singh, higher referred to as Pooja and Pal on their YouTube channel Punjabi Trucker Couple, showcase their trucker life-style by posting movies in Hindi and Punjabi to their greater than 10,000 subscribers.
Pooja, 27, and Pal, 28, who work as a longhaul staff for Mississauga, Ont.-based Day To Day Logistics, chortle after they hear individuals speaking about needing their very own house. “We don’t need any house, we like being collectively, actually we’re all the time collectively,” Pooja says.
Pal says if there’s a disagreement and tempers flare up, certainly one of them goes to mattress whereas the opposite is driving. Once they get up, anger is a factor of the previous. “We park, make out and make up,” he says with a giant grin.
Though they don’t thoughts pointing a digicam at themselves whereas they vlog throughout their journeys, Pal says they’re introverts at coronary heart. “We don’t have many pals and our pursuits are related.”
The couple met in 2016 and received married in 2018. Pal, who began driving seven years in the past, needed Pooja to hitch him at work. She labored different jobs earlier than acquiring her A/Z licence in 2021 and commenced trucking. “Now I don’t wish to work anyplace else,” Pooja says.
Though they love the approach to life, it’s tough to remain wholesome whereas trucking, and Pal struggles along with his weight. At one level he misplaced 40 kg however gained it again because the pandemic struck in 2019 and gymnasiums have been shut down. For the previous 5 years, he’s additionally needed to take care of a herniated disc.
He says three months in the past, they slowed down their schedule so he might give attention to understanding and shedding pounds, opting to run shorter routes fairly than their most well-liked weekly journeys to California.
It labored nicely for some time and Pal misplaced 10 kg, then placed on 5 kg. Pal says, “I wish to eat, it’s my fault. Throughout residence time I don’t eat wholesome, when I’m within the truck, I eat wholesome, that’s why I wish to be on the street.”
He stops each two hours when he drives, will get out and inspects the automobile. It forces him to maneuver. Pal says it’s tougher to drop pounds whereas he works. “If I’m not driving, I can go to the gymnasium six days every week. I can both work out or work.”
Often, they discover the time to go for a stroll, Pooja provides, however generally they have to do with out.
Pooja and Pal take a bit of additional time whereas hauling masses to California and again. They cease to work out at gyms alongside the best way, use trails for walks and make movies every time they’ll. Since they solely eat recent, home- or truck-cooked meals, in addition they should store for groceries within the U.S. as some meals can’t be taken throughout the border.
Pooja says she prepares wholesome meals, generally sitting on the ground of the cab. “She is slim and may slot in that small house, I’ll doubtless get caught,” Pal says with a smile. What’s his function? “Chopping meat, greens and fruit,” they reply collectively.
The couple had deliberate to vacate the room they lease, purchase an even bigger automobile and dwell within the truck. They needed to spend their 36-hour resets staying at accommodations whereas touring and exploring locations. However since work has slowed down, that plan is on maintain.
Social media influencers
Pooja and Pal say their movies have helped others be a part of the trucking occupation. They obtain feedback and messages from viewers, together with {couples} who at the moment are working as staff drivers. “They inform us, ‘If you are able to do it, we are able to do it,’” Pal says.
In addition they use different social media and have now begun a podcast. They intention to maintain trucking for now, however plan to maneuver to the East Coast, purchase a house and begin a enterprise. Journey is a giant a part of their future. “We wish to journey the world,” Pooja says. “We don’t wish to simply scratch the floor, we wish to discover locations over lengthy durations of time,” Pal provides.
