Aching muscles

A large portion of this pain (for me) can be relieved by seat and steering wheel set up. For example: I raise my seat until it's about kitchen chair height so that my knees are at a 90 degree with my feet comfortable on the floor. Also I set the rocking switch on the seat to allow the seat top move an inch or so forward and back.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

keep your butt all the way to the back, make sure you're sitting up straight, mess around with the seat, a little adjustment goes a long way. make sure you're properly stretching before, during and after you drive. i'd even suggest doing pushups, it helps your back and core a lot

 

Unlock your seat.

 

Do you drive with your window down and blowing in on your neck and shoulder? I had the same problem when I was younger and my dad asked me this, I said "yes" he told me to roll the window up more and guess what....the soreness went away. Of course the trucks I drove back then didn't have air conditioning. Actually never drove a truck with A/C till 1991.

 

I had some of the samethings happen to me when I first started. My right calf was sore as heck , it was a simple posture thing for me I had the seat a little to far back and too high almost like I was standing on the fuel peddle, hence the sore calf. Try adusting your seat a little and as a previous poster said invest in Advil and Tylenol.

 

Change up your position a bit and use the armrests built into the seat. Make sure you're not resting your elbow in a way that restricts blood flow (it's surprisingly easy to do and never notice until you're in pain for no apparent reason.) Make sure you're not gripping the wheel tightly and craning your neck forward in concentration. Also easy to not notice until it starts hurting. Shift your position slightly to one side or the other rather than sitting bolt upright. They've actually found that a slight reclining position is better for you than sitting dead straight.

You could be resting your weight on your arm without noticing. It will lift your shoulder blade upward and make it pretty sore after a while with all the jostling around. The opposite can also be true. Your arm hanging unsupported with your hand on the wheel will put stress on your shoulder and neck. Normally you don't notice these things but all the vibration and shaking in a truck turns it into a problem. Try to drive with one hand or the other, not both or the same one all the time. Switch things up regularly and make it a habit.

Your right calf is from pressing the throttle down with the ball of your foot. That works with a car because your heel rests on the floor. In the truck it doesn't. Many throttle pedals in trucks are attached to the floor at the bottom. Having your foot half off the pedal shortens the lever, putting all the strain directly on your calf muscle. Move your foot higher on the pedal so it is more centered. Have your heel on the base of the pedal instead of the floor. That way you can put the weight of your leg on the throttle instead of relying on muscle alone.

Personally I use Excedrine, and there's a cheaper off brand now that's identical. Two painkillers with a shot of caffeine equal to a cup of coffee in 2 tablets. Mind the maximum doses on whatever you choose to use.

 

You might take a good look at your diet. I'm about your age and I found that all nightshade vegetables cause me muscle tension and joint pain. The lectins in these vegetables gets absorbed in the muscles and dumped in the joints causing pain and stiffness. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers including hot and chili (except black pepper), paprika, eggplant and tobacco are the culprits. I don't seem to have a problem with tobacco but it's a little different for everyone.