When the pandemic hit in 2020, our working world started to change.
A great many companies across most industries had to – almost instantaneously – learn to adapt their operations to become remote friendly.
Since then, the remote work trend has continued to accelerate, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
According to Forbes:
Researchers from Ladders have been carefully tracking remote work availability from North America’s largest 50,000 employers since the pandemic began. Remote opportunities leapt from under 4% of all high paying jobs before the pandemic to about 9% at the end of 2020, and to more than 15% today.
The number of remote work roles is increasing.
At the same time, the number of full-time RVers is also increasing.
According to the Annual North American Camping Report by KOA (the world’s largest system of privately held campgrounds), the number of full-time RVers increased by 10% YOY.
But that doesn’t mean those new RVers are giving up on work.
CamperReport.com says, “Up from previous years, 40% of campers say that they sometimes or always work while camping.”
But, many companies are missing out on the awesome talent available from working RVers.
Many feel hesitant to hire a digital nomad or working RVer because they think someone who travels won’t be as reliable as someone who is always in a stationary location.
But the truth is, the remote workforce is way more prepared for work than a lot of people realize.
Heck – we’ve had to be.
For years, we never wanted our employers to know we weren’t working from a landline internet connection or a stationary “sticks and bricks” location – because we were afraid we’d get fired.
So, in order to hide the fact that we work nomadically, we’ve learned to be over-prepared for remote work.
How did we do that?
By creating redundancies.
Backups. Contingency plans. Alternative options and strategies.
All created to make sure we could work from the road without interruption.
Turns out, many of us do it with even less interruption than working from a stationary home.
Having multiple redundancies for the most important aspects of our work – Internet, Power, and Environment – is a huge part of how the remote workforce brings even more value than stationary work-from-home employees.
Internet Redundancies
Multiple Service Providers
Internet connection is one of the most important components of being able to work from the road.
For RVers, the most common way to access the internet is through an internet hotspot, either from a standalone hotspot device or from their cell phone.
Since the hotpot is provided by a cellular service provider, the internet connection is dependent on cellular service in that area from that particular provider. In areas where a given service provider has a weak cell signal, the internet signal will be weak, as well.
To combat this, many RVers create a redundancy by having phones and/or hotspot devices provided through multiple carriers.
Of the top 3 carriers in the U.S. (commonly understood to be Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile), many RVers will choose to hold plans through at least 2 of them; some go even further and opt for all 3.
This means that if internet signal is weak through one carrier, they can just switch to using another.
Which gives them an advantage over most stationary work-from-home employees, who usually don’t have backup internet if their primary one goes out.
For RVers, having these backups is just a normal part of living and working on the road.
Signal Boosters
Beyond having backup carriers for cell and internet access, many RVers also use signal boosters to maximize usability from each carrier.
The 2 most common types of signal boosters for RVers are cell signal boosters and WiFi boosters.
Cell signal boosters amplify cellular reception, which allows for better cell phone calls and stronger internet signal from any hotspot devices.
This helps RVers take business calls, access the internet, and get work done from remote areas of the country.
WiFi signal boosters help lengthen the reach of a wireless internet signal, which helps RVers have stronger internet when staying at an RV park or campground.
So no matter if we’re camping off-grid or staying right in town, we have devices to make sure we have strong internet access.
Starlink
Starlink is a satellite internet network by SpaceX that uses advanced satellites in a low orbit to provide high speed, low latency internet that enables high data rate activities like video calls.
And through its new Portability feature, it’s making high-speed internet more accessible than ever for RVers. And since Starlink fills the gaps left by major carriers in more remote areas of the country, even the most adventurous RVers can get work done from wherever they go.
Power Redundancies
There are two main default ways an RV gets power: from being plugged in to an external power source or from onboard batteries.
External power sources often come from ‘shore power’, which is usually the electrical box at an RV park or campground, but can even be an electrical outlet in a home garage.
As for RV batteries, while many of the factory-installed ones are small and don’t provide much power, most full-time RVers level-up to lithium batteries, which provide exponentially more power.
Another common power source for RVers is a generator, which is another external power sources that provides power in much the same way ‘shore power’ sources do.
Finally, many full-time RVers opt to have solar power as an additional back-up (or even primary) option.
Most full-time RVers who work from the road choose to have all 4 options for power, so we’re almost never in a situation where we can’t power our devices and get work done.
Environment / Location Redundancies
Pre-planning
Working RVers use a multitude of resources to research and choose our destinations.
There are apps, tools, and other online resources to plan travels based on weather, cellular coverage, WiFi signal, and so much more.
By using those tools to pre-plan our travels, and having back-up options just in case the first 1, 2, or 3 don’t work out, we’re able to make sure we land in a spot that lets us get work done.
Adaptability
Because we know we need to have back-up options, RVers are usually more adaptable to changing environments.
So, for instance, if the location we’re in has been good for a few days, but all of a sudden there’s construction or an influx of loud adventurists – we can hop in the truck and head to the nearest town to get work done in a coffee shop or restaurant for the day.
Many of us even do that research ahead of time, so we’re prepared to do that if we have to.
And we’re usually already equipped with remote work tools like a hotspot device, laptop, and earbuds, so it’s not much hassle for us to change locations on the fly.
That’s not always the case with stationary work-from-home employees.
Location Independence
Speaking of changing locations on the fly, the best part about living in an RV is that your home is on wheels, so you can always move it if you need to.
No matter how much pre-planning we do, there will always be things out of our control.
But for RVers, if plans A, B, and C don’t work out, and we wind up in a spot for a night with less-than-optimal working conditions, we’re always prepared to sleep on it, regroup the next day, make a new plan, and get to somewhere we can work from.
Stationary work-from-home employees don’t often have the option to go somewhere else if a 3-month construction project starts in their neighborhood.
That’s the beauty of being a digital nomad.
And hiring one.
Employers: Want direct access to remote talent?
Learn more about how the RVer Job Exchange can help you bring diverse and highly skilled talent to your company.
