A New Career in Trucking: The Good and the Bad

A career as a truck driver is a nomadic one. A trucker will go to bed tonight several hundred miles from where he started this morning. Tomorrow he will deliver and pick up another load headed for another unknown destination. If you are a control freak, you will go crazy trying to be a truck driver. The only thing truly certain is that nothing is set in stone. Everything can and probably will change. If you live for the next adventure and love seeing new places, you will find it a tremendous challenge.

Your friends and family will do most things without you because you will be on the road earning a living so they can do those things. If you work it right, you can still earn a good living and be able to spend quality time at home with your loved ones.

Concentrate on doing quality miles instead of quantity miles. Set your goals a little bit lower to accommodate more time at home if you have a family. You can still make more than if you were working locally so you can provide well for them, but you will also be able to schedule the time to spend at home.

If you’re a picky eater, you might be in trouble. Truckers have a wide variety of places where they can choose to eat if eating out, but they are usually the same places across the country. Most places specialize in fast food, fried foods, high carbohydrate selections, or if you’re lucky a buffet.

You do have the option of a better selection at the locations offering an all-you-can-eat buffet. Just don’t overdo it or you will want to take a nap instead of driving. You also have the option of cooking your own meals so you can pick and choose what you want to eat. This will also allow you to eat a little healthier too. You can have a healthy lifestyle while on the road since you control the choices you make. Many drivers have a microwave or other form of cooking such as butane or propane stoves, an electric skillet and some carry a small grill for cooking outdoors when the weather is permitting.

Having a grill also allows the chance to bring truckers together for a little socialization. Each driver chipping in something towards the combined meal and sharing stories while cooking. There are several methods to allow a driver to cook and many ways a driver can eat a healthy diet even though he is traveling most of the day. Many menus or recipes are quick and easy to fix and will allow the driver to eat healthy and earn a living without having to make too many sacrifices in their diet.

As a lease purchase owner-operator you also can schedule your stops for your own convenience as well whether it’s being able to drop a trailer and bob-tail to a different type of restaurant or store or stopping at a truck stop and calling a cab to get to your destination. This opens your options a lot wider and gives you more control. Company drivers may not be allowed to drop their trailer or bobtail around between loads with a company truck but a lease purchase driver should have the ability to do so.

There are several questions to ask yourself to determine whether trucking might be a lifestyle you want to pursue. Do you have a family? Do you have to be at home every night or is there someone that can handle things for you while you’re gone? Do you like to travel? Do you like to see new places and meet new people? Are you ready to make a change in your life? Take time to research the idea and be truthful in answering the questions.

Becoming a trucker is not as glamorous as television makes it seem to be. It is a 24/7 commitment with a lot of responsibility. As a commercial truck driver with a CDL you become a professional driver responsible for thousands, sometimes millions of dollars worth of freight, your equipment and the safety of those around you. It is quite an adventure and challenge if you’re up to accepting it, but don’t do it lightly.

For all of those in the trucking community, make your decision with knowledge of what you are going to be required to do with the attitude that you are going to do it 100%. Your life and those around you are counting on it. With that said, if you should decide to become a trucker and join the trucking industry, I hope you enjoy your new lifestyle and your new career as a truck driver.