How Truck Drivers Can Eat Healthier: Cooking on the Road with Scotty B.

If life on the road is what you make of it, then 12-year Barr-Nunn Transportation driver Scott Branham is making a difference. He is the host of the Cooking on the Road with Scotty B. YouTube Channel. Scott is looking to change the eating on the road game with delicious, healthy, and simple recipes for today’s trucker. We caught up with Scott in Braselton, GA, a few hours before hooking up a load to find out the secret ingredient to his fast-growing channel and how truck drivers can eat healthier.

How did you get into the trucking business?

Doing a year of bricklaying on scaffolding proved to be more than I wanted to handle. It wasn’t my cup of tea. I went to truck driving school and immediately got into foodservice. I worked for Little Caesar’s Pizza, PepsiCo Foods, and then auto parts. After that, I got into over-the-road and have been doing truck driving for 34 years.

How did you connect with Barr-Nunn Transportation?

As a result of the 2008 recession, my trucking company was letting me go. By that time, I started a family, and benefits were important to me. Barr-Nunn Transportation was first on my list because of how fast the health benefits kicked in.

What has been your experience with COVID-19 and being on the road?

I have had more work during COVID-19 than I’ve ever had in my life. I was just rolling constantly, and I stayed out because I didn’t want to create too many chances of exposing my family to COVID-19.

What inspired you to start a trucker cooking YouTube channel Cooking on the Road with Scotty B.?

I wasn’t much a cook when I first got married. My wife is a fantastic cook, and I learned a few things from her. I started cooking meals on the road and sending pictures back to my daughter. She would say, “Oh, Dad, that looks fantastic! You should start a channel on YouTube.” I said, “Nah, I’m not that good.” And my daughter said, “Just do one episode!” I shot the raw footage and sent it back to her, and she did all the editing. The episode turned out pretty good.

What are some of the cookware you have in your cab?

My main equipment consists of a Pressure Cooker, Air Fryer, Rice Cooker, and Toaster Oven. I use the Pressure Cooker more than anything else because it’s so versatile. There is a refrigerator and freezer on board too.

What do you hope truck drivers get out of your YouTube channel?

Even though I focus on many basics, I want to take it further than just the basics. I want to introduce drivers to what else is out here, besides eating at rest stops or restaurants morning, noon, and night – spending life savings on it at the same time. It can get costly to eat on the road every day. You can do better than that, and it doesn’t take that much effort. I’m showing drivers simple, quick, and easy meals. Hopefully, truckers will get some good life hacks. Doing things drivers hadn’t thought about or try something they hadn’t tried before. I’m not a world-class chef or Wolfgang Puck, but I do know some things about eating more exciting food on the road. If a driver gets one thing out of my videos, that’s cool with me.

What’s your advice for how truck drivers can eat healthier on the road?

We need to get past the cold canned soups or beanie-weenies (that was my go-to). You can get into such a rut because of the limited choices on the road. Start cooking on the road and up the ante on your lifestyle out here. Technology has moved way past the 12-volt heater lunch boxes. They are horrible. They warm but don’t cook.

Invest in an inverter (which Barr-Nunn Transportation provided for us) because it’s changed the game for me. 1500 watts are more than enough to do what you need to do out here. Also, have it installed correctly by a professional.

What is your favorite dish to cook on the road?

The rice cooker I have is a fantastic cake maker. When I feel like treating myself, I like the pineapple upside-down cake. But you can’t have too many of those. It makes excellent cornbread or red velvet cakes.

What do you tell other truckers about driving for Barr-Nunn Transportation?

Truck driving isn’t an exact science. Every day is going to be different. So, it matters how you get treated. Barr-Nunn Transportation treats me like a real person. Honestly, I’m not a number. When I call into the dispatch and say, “Hey, what’s going on?” – Megan, or Teresa, or Tim, they know me. They treat you well. They treat me with respect.

Final Thoughts on How Truck Drivers Can Eat Healthier

Subscribe to Cooking on the Road with Scotty B. YouTube channel now and start getting ideas for eating better, healthier, and with more variety on the road. Scott is busy making more episodes and says, “With the amount of food you can prepare on the road, I don’t think there’s an end to the episodes we can do.”

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