Do Truck Drivers Enjoy Their Jobs?

In a series called Ask A Driver, I recently received this question:

Hi,

Do truck drivers like their jobs? My son will soon be finishing his truck training and will enter the job market so I have been cruising the web looking at different truck sites, (yours, thus far, is the most interesting). I find lots of information on how bad truck driving is, (e.g. health issues, dangerous, bad companies, loads of complaints, and more). What I cannot find are stories or comments from drivers who actually like what they do. So, I ask again, do truck drivers, overall, like their jobs? Any links or resources that talk about a positive view of truck driving would sure be appreciated.

Thanks,

Everette

Answer:

Hi Everette

I'll answer your question, and at the end I'll give you a list of good articles and such to look at.

To get right to the core of your question, whether or not someone enjoys trucking, in my opinion, depends on a few key things.

1) Your personality must suit the lifestyle.

The lifestyle of an over-the-road or regional truck driver is very, very unique. And that's exactly what it is - a lifestyle. It really isn't just a job - it's how you live. You spend an enormous amount of time alone. You almost never know where you will be, nor where you will be heading to, more than 48 hours in advance. Often times much less than that. Many times you will deliver a load and won't know where you will be going next until the information actually comes across your screen. Could be Los Angeles, could be Miami, could be just a short distance from wherever you are at the moment. You just have to roll with it.

There is nobody by your side to help you make decisions. You have to constantly rely on your own judgement and intuition to decide your strategy for managing your time and create a game plan that will allow you to consistently get the job done safely, make good money for yourself and your company, and not get burned out in the process. That is no easy task for sure. There are always a million variables to consider - like traffic, weather, DOT inspections and weigh stations, eating, sleeping, showering, fueling, keeping your logbook legal, getting maintenance done to the truck, and a host of other factors. It takes quite a long time to learn how to juggle everything in a way that suits you best. But then again, there are so many variables and it's such a dynamic environment that more than anything else you're simply 'wingin it'.

So your personality has to be such that you can handle the lifestyle. The most important traits you should have, or learn to develop very quickly, are patience, independence, determination, a good work ethic, a love of adventure, spontaneity, and discipline. I happen to have a good helping of those qualities. In fact, my mom likes to tell people the story of my first day of kindergarten. I started young - I was 4. She was going to walk me out to the bus and I wouldn't let her. I told her I can take care of myself and that I would be embarrassed if she had to walk my out there like a baby. So she had to stay on the porch! LOL! And she did. I was serious!

If you have a strong personality, you like to make your own way through life, you enjoy adventure and challenge, and you have a decent amount of good judgement and common sense, then I would say there is an excellent chance that you will truly enjoy your life on the road. I can honesty say that I've absolutely loved it. It was certainly no bed of roses all the time, but overall it has been amazing. Good money, tons of great experiences, and countless lessons learned. You're providing a tremendous service to people that you can be proud of, you're experiencing this country in a way that most people could only dream of, you're driving big, beautiful trucks, and you're making good money doing it. It's a one of a kind way to make a living and if it suits your personality, you're well on your way to making many of the best memories of your entire life.

Second of all - how well you understand how trucking companies function on the inside

This one isn't too difficult. You simply have to understand that trucking companies get paid based on the amount of work that gets done. The more loads they haul, the more miles they run, the more money they make. Now there are obviously laws that both the company and the drivers are responsible for abiding by. But I'll be straight-up with you about something - both the driver and the company stand to make a lot more money by breaking the rules, within reason, than by abiding by them.

Cheating the logbook is a common, everyday practice out there for the vast majority of drivers. If you say you're not a cheater - there's a good chance you're a liar! But if you go too far and get caught cheating too many times, the penalties outweigh the gains. The companies will generally allow you to run as hard as you want to run, again - within reason - as long as you're staying under the radar. You start getting a lot of logbook violations, your company is going to get in trouble for allowing you to run so hard, and they are going to promptly throw you under the bus and probably fire you. I've been fired a number of times for too many violations. Sometimes you hit a string of bad luck and all the things you've been getting away with for so long suddenly catch up to you and you get a few tickets in too short of a period of time. Well, the company is going to blame you - basically say you're an outlaw - and fire you. And I don't blame them. They're usually willing to give you all the miles you want to run so that you, and your company in turn, can make a ton of money together. But if you screw it up, it's on you - not them.

So basically, the more miles you run and the more consistently you are safe and on time:

- The more money you make
- The more money your company makes
- The better service your customers are getting.
The laws will try to limit how much you can run, and it's up to you how you're going to handle this scenario. You just have to weigh the risks and rewards and determine how you're going to handle it. You certainly don't have to cheat, but you'll only be running 1/2 - 2/3 of the miles the cheaters are. Therefore, you're going to make less money, your company will make less money, and the best loads with the best miles will be going to those drivers who are willing to run the hardest and make the most money for the company.

Of course you will never hear anyone within the offices of any trucking company in America officially admit to any of this - and that's what 's so great about TruckingTruth - we don't answer to anyone so we can tell it like it is! And that is truly how it is. How you handle this scenario will greatly affect the money you make and how well you get treated. You want special favors like being given great loads fairly consistently, getting an extra day or two off here and there, and maybe a nicer truck or a turn of the cheek when you screw up a tiny bit - you'll have to earn it. I never had any problem with any of this. It made perfect sense to me. A lot of guys want to be treated like gold but never want to go the extra mile to earn that treatment. Those tend to be the grumpy ones that sit around truckstops complaining about how horrible they have it. You earn nothing, you receive nothing.

Lastly, I'd say you have to have a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done - outside of just running more miles than you legally should.

You will have to deliver in the middle of the night sometimes. You will have to sit for 10 hours waiting to be loaded sometimes. You will have to deliver in downtown Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and Denver - sometimes in the snow, sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes on only 2 hours of sleep, and often times in terrible traffic. Sometimes you will have to help load or unload, sometimes you will have to get the truck worked on and miss out on the shower and the nap you were hoping for, and sometimes you will have to wait an extra day to get home. But if you take the approach that you have to do whatever it takes to always get the job done safely, and be on time whenever possible - which better be almost every single time - then you'll be just fine.

As you can see, I can go on forever and ever. And this is just scratching the surface. You surely saw my book advertised on the site. It has 1000 times the amount of information in it than I can give you here. The entire point of the book is to let new truck drivers know the honest truth about life on the road. I have offered a money back guarantee on this book from day one and I swear on my Father's grave that I have never once been asked for a refund. Not once. It is absolutely crammed with every bit of advice and information I could think of after 15 years on the road to help new drivers learn what it takes to be successful and enjoy life as a truck driver. It will help him avoid tons and tons of mistakes and hard lessons learned. It will also help him understand how the industry works so that he can make good decisions with his career. It's actually pretty funny, too. It has a ton of great stories in it from over the years. And, lastly, my mom really liked it! LOL! It would be a great way for you to help him out - and inexpensive - and you will absolutely get every penny back if you're not happy with it - no questions asked.

I've really enjoyed my years on the road and I would say that most drivers out there do. But some people quickly find out that they are not cut out for it at all - and usually get out pretty quickly. But if it seems like the lifestyle would suit your personality, and you hang in there for a couple years so that you can really learn how it all works, there's an excellent chance that you will have a lot of really fun, adventurous, and rewarding years out there for sure!

I sure hope this helped!

Here are some other resources from our site that you'll find interesting:

A couple of my blogs:

Is Truck Driving For Me?



Will I Enjoy Life On The Road?



A couple of stories from the road:

Truck Driving Story From Phoenix, AZ



Truck Driving Story From New York, NY



Here is the homepage of my blog - it lists all the different blogs I've done on different topics in the industry:

Brett's Trucking Blog



Here is a blog that is done by a husband/wife team that has some good day to day stuff in it:

Husband Wife Team Blog



Thanks for the question Keith. If there is anything else I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask!

All The Best,

Brett Aquila

Questions About Truck Driving: How To Protect Your Freight And Get Enough Sleep

Hi



I am thinking about getting my CDL and becoming a truck driver. How safe is truck driving from the stand point of getting enough rest? How do you keep your loads safe from people who may hurt you and steal the load? What do you do when you are extremely tired and your manager wants that you keep driving? Please tell me about all the obstacles and challenges that you have, so I can see if truck driving is the right career for me.



Sincerely,



Mansour

Answer:

Hi Mansour



You have some excellent questions. First, there are a lot of materials on my website that cover some of these exact questions, and my book covers every one of them.



Here are a few articles that you'll find very helpful:



Becoming A Truck Driver Part 3: How Do I Know If Trucking Is For Me?



Becoming A Truck Driver Part 5: Will I Enjoy Life On The Road?



Truck Driving Story From Phoenix, AZ



Truck Driving Story From New York, NY



The first two explain a lot about what life on the road is like. The last two are stories of mine from the road to give you some examples of some of the stuff you will find out there.



Now I'll answer your questions directly.



How safe is driving from the aspect of getting enough sleep?



As far as safety concerns with getting enough rest - there will be times when getting enough sleep is very tough or nearly impossible. The hours are very inconsistent.
Sometimes you might pick up a load at 2:00 in the afternoon, sometimes 2:00 at night. Sometimes you have to run odd hours because of traffic concerns. Say for instance
you have a delivery at 8:00 in the morning in Chicago. Well, you sure can't go strolling into Chicago at 7:30 and expect to get there on time. You'll be stuck in traffic and
you'll be late. So you go in about 4:30 in the morning, arrive at the customer, take a nap for a few hours, and your day begins again. So there is no way that you will always
get enough sleep. Time will teach you how to schedule your runs the best way you can - but more than anything else you will learn to get by sometimes on 3 hours of
sleep sometimes. That is just the reality of life on the road. It's not a nine to five schedule.



How do you keep your loads safe?



Really, this is very rarely a problem. If you put a super heavy duty lock on the trailer, that is usually all you will ever need. I've driven for 15 years, rarely locked the trailer, and
never once had anything stolen. Now here is something to look out for - sometimes you will pick up valuable loads - say a load of computers. What will happen is there are
thieves that will drive around in vans. They know the company you picked up at has just given you a load of computers. So what they will do is secretly follow you, hoping you
stop somewhere soon down the road to get something to eat at a truckstop or take a nap in a rest area. When they get their chance they'll open up the trailer, grab a bunch of
computers, load them in the van, and be gone in a matter of minutes. That's if you're lucky. If you're unlucky, you'll go in the truckstop to get something to eat and when you
come back outside, your truck is gone. The best thing to do when you get a load like that is leave the shipper and drive for at least 200 miles. They will only follow you for so
long and then they'll turn back and wait on the next truck to leave the warehouse. 200 miles without stopping and you should be fine. The other obvious point is don't sleep
overnight in a bad part of a city. It isn't always avoidable, but usually it is. But I wouldn't be too concerned with this. Theft does happen, but it's pretty rare overall. Common sense
will usually keep you out of trouble.



What if you're really tired and they want you to keep driving?



See, this is a fine line you have to walk. If once in a while you're just too tired to get somewhere on time, most companies will let that go. But if you do it too often, they simply
won't give you very many good loads. You'll be sitting a lot and all of the good loads will go to the guys who are consistently on time. Again, after a while you will learn to
schedule your runs in a way that you can get the job done safely. But no matter how long you've been driving, sometimes you're going to be tired and it comes down to a decision
you have to make - can I grab a nice big cup of coffee to stay awake safely for a couple more hours or do I have to shut down for the night and be late with this load?
You have to know your own limits and always put safety first. Your manager will never, ever actually say you have to keep running even though you are tired. He will start
giving you less miles though if you can't seem to get the job done as well as other drivers. It's kind of an 'unwritten rule' that the guys who are willing to run the hardest will
get the most miles and the best loads. The guys who can't seem to get the job done wind up sitting an awful lot.



The articles and my answers will give you a good start. If you're really, really serious about becoming a truck driver and you really want to know all the information you can
get before making a decision, my book is the way to go. It's very inexpensive and it is packed with every detail I could think of from 15 years on the road. Here is the link
to my book about becoming a truck driver.



I sure hope this helped!



Best of luck,



Brett Aquila

Questions About Truck Driving: Finding A Job After An Accident

Question:

Hello Brett,



My name is David and I have a major dilema with finding a truck driving job. I have a class A cdl and I graduated from National Tractor Trailer School in Buffalo, NY and was hired as a company driver for Werner Enterprises and I have recently been terminated by Werner for an unsatisfactory safety record due to an accident and four citations which are ; 40mph in a 30mph zone,while my trainer was sleeping ; overwidth ; failing to obey traffic signals, and as a result of my accident failure to maintain a safe lookout.



My accident occured when I was merging from the center lane to the right lane and there was a car to my right in my blind spot which caused my tractor to bump the car resulting in minor damage to the car. There were no injuries. Now I am having a hard time finding a job. I feel like this is unfair because Werner did not properly train me, for example while I was in training my trainer was in the sleeper sleeping while I was driving due to Werner running us like a team, not like a student and trainer, I feel very strongly that if I had been properly trained I would not be in my current situation. I mean, I got a speeding ticket while I was in training! I am really hoping that you know of some trucking companies that will consider me for employment. I am also open to any advice you may have for me in my hunt for a job. Thank you for your time. I am anxious to hear from you.



Thanks,



David

Answer:

Hi David.



You would not believe how common it is for a new driver to have a minor accident within a few months of coming out of school. Happens all the time. And every time

it does, they have a bit of trouble finding a new job. But fear not - you'll be back out there before you know it.




Now the citations are going to be as big a concern for the companies you apply to as the accident. So your situation is a bit sticky, but can certainly be overcome.

Getting a DUI, failing a drug test, getting in a major accident with injuries, or getting tickets for reckless driving are nearly impossible to overcome. But yours are not.

First, understand that many companies - especially the larger ones like Werner, have minimum hiring guidelines that they absolutely can not, and will not break. So if

their criteria states 'no accidents within the past 6 months' then you might as well beat your head against the wall as try to get a job there. Not only will their safety

department not allow it, but often times neither will their insurance company. So goal number one - find a company with more lenient hiring standards.




Unfortunately that will likely mean a company of a slightly lower quality than others that are out there. But hey, you've gotta do what you've gotta do to get back

out there and get rolling again. So goal number two - once you're out there rollin again, stay at whatever company you are at for one year and do everything possible

to keep a clean record. If you can stay at a company for one year with a clean record, you will pretty much be free to go anywhere you like at that point. So even if

you have to settle for a company that is less than ideal for now, you do it. That's what it's going to take.




So now the question is how do you find a company that will hire you? Well, nobody knows more about the different companies out there and the requirements each one

has than a driver referral service that has been around for a long time. I always recommend 1-800-drivers because that's the one I always used and they did an excellent job

for me. If you look on my site you'll notice there are not any advertisements or promotions for their company. I have no affiliation with them and I do not know anyone there

personally. They have done a great job for me in the past and I believe they will for you too. They have very long-standing relationships with a broad range of companies all over the

country and will be able to find you a job I'm rather certain. Their service is free to use and they are incredibly helpful. They get paid to get drivers hired - so its in their best

interest to find you a job. That's how they make their money so they're going to do everything in their power to help you out. Give them a call and they'll get you going.




Also, here are two links to trucking jobs that we currently have listed on our site:



Here is our list of truck driving jobs in New York State



Here is our list of truck driving Jobs in Buffalo, NY specifically.



While 1-800-drivers is working on your application for you, rifle off some quick applications to any companies that sound like they might work for you on these pages.

The key here is getting a bunch of applications out there - the more places you apply, the better your chances of getting out there sooner - pretty simple.





Next, I would write a letter to submit with any application you put in explaining the circumstances. If you feel the trainer wasn't watching over you closely enough, then

tell them that. Be very thorough with your explanation of the circumstances, and be honest. These companies have heard every lie a billion times and they will see

through it right away. I have been fired from a number of different companies, mostly for too many logbook violations, and was always honest with companies I was

applying to about what had happened. One time I even had a recruiter tell me that they weren't happy with the fact that I had been terminated from a previous job, but they

checked with the previous company and saw that I had been honest and up front with what had happened and so they were willing to give me a chance. She said if I

had lied about it, they wouldn't have hired me. I was pleasantly surprised by that for sure - a good learning experience.




Not all companies will feel that way, but none of them will take being lied to very well at all. So be honest. Also, make sure the letter is well-written. If you are not confident in your

writing skills, have someone write it for you. It needs to look and sound professional. These recruiters are not dock workers or ditch diggers.

They are used to dealing in a professional environment and a sloppy letter will not look good for you at all.




Lastly, I would do all of this as quickly as possible. The busy season is soon coming to an end. Right now these companies have a lot of freight because Christmas is

coming. But by mid-December, a combination of a slow economy and the normal seasonal slowdown will make it much, much more difficult to find a job. So take advantage

of the current busy season and get those applications out there. Call 1-800-drivers and apply to jobs on our site ASAP and get the ball rollin.




Best of luck to you. Stay positive, keep firing off those applications, and be persistent. You'll be back out there before you know it. It may take a bunch of applications,

it may not. But stay at it, and hurry. The busy season is your friend right now. Don't let it pass you by. Look forward to hearing from you soon.




Sincerely,



Brett Aquila

Questions About Truck Driving: How Often Can Truck Drivers Shower?

Question:



How many days might truckers go without showering because there is not any shower? There are showers at the truck stops, but how often do truckers pass by those?



Thsnks


Robert



Hi Robert.



It's funny you ask that because if you ask people what the most common stereotypes of truck drivers are, 'smelly' is a very common one.

Especially if you ask someone that works at a truckstop! LOL! However, be not concerned. It's true, there are an unfortunate number of

smelly truck drivers out there but honestly, 99% of the time it's simply a matter of laziness. Drivers spend so much time alone that from

time to time some of these guys kinda 'let themselves go'. Now if they had their wives or girlfriends with them it would be a totally different ballgame!

But they don't. So sometimes they get lazy and don't bother showering or doing laundry nearly as often as they should.



But you pretty much pass by truckstops constantly. They are seemingly everywhere and it really is pretty rare that you go more than 24 hours without passing

a nice truckstop to shower and do laundry at. Most guys keep some soap, water, wash cloths, towels, and 'Baby Wipes' with them for a quick 'sponge bath'

if needed in the truck from time to time.



Sometimes your schedule gets really tight and it's not that there aren't opportunities to shower, it's that you don't want to take the time. You may only be able

to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep on a certain night and you don't want to spend any of that extra trime doing anything else. So a quick 'sponge bath' will have to

do for now so that you can use the precious little time you have for sleeping.



So don't be concerned my friend. There is no reason to walk around dirty and smelly. There are more clean, nicely maintained truckstops around now than there

ever was before, You'll have no trouble getting in all the showers you'd like.



Take care!



Brett Aquila

Questions About Trucking: How Often Can Truck Drivers Shower?

Question:



How many days might truckers go without showering because there is not any shower? There are showers at the truck stops, but how often do truckers pass by those?



Thsnks


Robert



Hi Robert.



It's funny you ask that because if you ask people what the most common stereotypes of truck drivers are, 'smelly' is a very common one.

Especially if you ask someone that works at a truckstop! LOL! However, be not concerned. It's true, there are an unfortunate number of

smelly truck drivers out there but honestly, 99% of the time it's simply a matter of laziness. Drivers spend so much time alone that from

time to time some of these guys kinda 'let themselves go'. Now if they had their wives or girlfriends with them it would be a totally different ballgame!

But they don't. So sometimes they get lazy and don't bother showering or doing laundry nearly as often as they should.



But you pretty much pass by truckstops constantly. They are seemingly everywhere and it really is pretty rare that you go more than 24 hours without passing

a nice truckstop to shower and do laundry at. Most guys keep some soap, water, wash cloths, towels, and 'Baby Wipes' with them for a quick 'sponge bath'

if needed in the truck from time to time.



Sometimes your schedule gets really tight and it's not that there aren't opportunities to shower, it's that you don't want to take the time. You may only be able

to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep on a certain night and you don't want to spend any of that extra trime doing anything else. So a quick 'sponge bath' will have to

do for now so that you can use the precious little time you have for sleeping.



So don't be concerned my friend. There is no reason to walk around dirty and smelly. There are more clean, nicely maintained truckstops around now than there

ever was before, You'll have no trouble getting in all the showers you'd like.



Take care!



Brett Aquila

Even In A Slow Economy, Truck Driving Jobs Remain In High Demand

Is It Time To Change Careers?

With a slow economy, many people are losing their jobs, being laid-off, or are worried about one or the other. Many are considering changing careers, and are hoping to find a good paying job that takes little training, is fairly quick and easy to get into, is in demand, is enjoyable, and offers a good future that they can count on. Well, buckle up your seat belts because truck driving might be the perfect career choice for you!

Many people are under the impression that high fuel prices have been killing the trucking industry. It's true in some sense - many, many companies have been going bankrupt. But most often you'll find that these are the smaller, poorly financed companies that were struggling to begin with. A slow economy and high fuel prices will certainly weed out the weaker players, and in a commodity business like truck driving, there are a lot of em.

Still A High Demand For Truck Drivers

But freight is still flowing, and the demand for truck drivers remains high. If many companies are going out of business, how can it be that the other companies are still hiring? There are several reasons for this.

Truckers Want To Make More Money Too!

When freight gets slow, not all companies are equally good at keeping their drivers moving. As freight fluctuates and the number of drivers a company has working for them at any given time fluctuates, sometimes there are too many drivers and too little freight. Because truck driving jobs are plentiful even during slow times, as you can see from this extensive listing of truck driving jobs in Atlanta, Georgia for example, drivers tend to be quite impatient when it comes to getting the miles they are looking for. Often times a few slow weeks will send them packing down the road hoping to find a better job with a company that can keep them rolling. So the turnover, or churn rate, stays high in the industry and therefore most companies are hiring year round, even when times are toughest.

The Turnover Always Remains High

The industry is famous for a high rate of turnover. Traditionally this is because there is a shortage of qualified drivers to choose from, so jobs are fairly easy to come by. On top of that, truck driving is not an easy job. I've written other articles that talk in detail about how the truck driving lifestyle is not an easy one for most people to adapt to, and I would state without hesitation that truck driving is not for everyone. So even in good times, the trucking industry always suffers from a high rate of turnover.

Negotiating Better Prices On New Equipment

During hard times, purchasing of new trucks often slows dramatically. Dealerships need to keep selling however and so often times trucking companies can negotiate much lower prices for new trucks. Combine these new trucks with the ability to (hopefully) steal away contracts and drivers from other companies, and you now see that the companies that took the best care of their finances during the good times can take tremendous advantage of it during the slower times.

Bigger Companies Have Their Eye On Expansion

How can some companies be hiring while others are going broke? Because as the smaller companies struggle to survive, the larger, better financed companies can take advantage of them. Larger companies can operate at a loss for a time, and will do so, if they believe they will come out ahead later on. By offering to haul freight at a cheaper rate than a shipper is currently paying in exchange for a new contract with them down the road, the larger companies can operate at a loss for a short time and steal away contracts from the weaker players, often times hurting or wiping out the weaker players in the process. Then when the economy picks up again, the larger company has expanded its customer base, therefore expanding the number of trucks and drivers it can maintain in its fleet.

Trucking Jobs Are Always Available

So as you can see, there are a large number of reasons - and there are plenty more than the ones I have listed here - truck drivers are always in demand no matter what the economy throws at us.

Becoming A Truck Driver Pt 2: Will Life On The Road Be Lonely?

There's plenty of information out there that talks about the technical aspects of becoming a truck driver. Things like "How to get your CDL", the requirements for getting your CDL, and list after list of trucking companies looking for drivers. But what about all of the other aspects of being on the road? What is life really like? Are the meals good in the truckstops? Is there anyone to talk to in the evenings? Is there help when you need it with routing and mechanical issues? Will I be homesick all the time? There aren't too many places to find answers to these, but after almost 15 years on the road I have a lot of them.

Now I can't tell you if it's right for you or not, but I can give you an idea of what it's like. For starters, the first thing that comes to mind is the amount of time you spend alone. It's a ton. I can honestly say you will be alone, mostly in your truck, for an average of about 18 hours per day. The other six you will spend talking to waitresses, dock workers, and other drivers. But the vast majority of the time you'll be alone. I came to the realization in the early months of my career that I could either learn to enjoy being alone and make the best of it, or I could suffer through it, but I really couldn't do much to change it.

Back then, you didn't have computers and the Internet to keep you connected and entertain you. The information, emails, pictures, fun websites, news sites, and all the goodies that come with being online just didn't exist. After years of being on the road, the Internet and computers started to take hold. Slowly the truck stops began coming out with connections for cable TV and internet in your truck, and that really changed everything.

Nowadays, most truck stops and many of the places you'll find yourself will have some sort of wireless Internet connection. Laptops have gotten far less expensive, and you can add to that the ease of putting satellite television in your cab, and of course cell phones. The ability to stay connected to the news, entertainment, and your loved ones is a thousand times better than it was ten years ago. A thousand times.

But the one thing you cant replace is the amount of time you'll spend away from your family and friends. A lot of companies can get you home on the weekends. Some will keep you out for two to three weeks at a time. The choice is yours. Generally speaking, the longer you stay out at a time, the more money you'll make. There are jobs that will get you home every evening in fact, but you'll put in fifteen hour days and be lucky to bring home $150 per day. You can stay out one to three weeks at a time and make $50,000/year pretty easily, but there's a lot to consider when it comes to being gone that long.

I'm going to tell you something flat out - if you have a family, especially if you have children, please do not consider a job that keeps you away from home for more than five days at a time. I've heard countless stories, and I mean countless stories, of families that fell apart from the time spent away from each other. It's too hard on the spouses, and devastating for the children. Even being gone five days a week is hard on everyone, but there is a huge difference in the money you'll make being gone five days at a time compared to being home every night, and life is always a compromise. Sometimes you won't have a choice.

I was young and single for most of the years I spent on the road, and I wasn't a bit lonely. There were truck stops, the CB, books, and places you could go in your free time like malls, night clubs, and sporting events to keep you entertained. It really was a ton of fun! But to have a wife and children to leave behind would have been almost too much to bear. In fact, probably more than almost too much. I just don't think I could have done it.

Every decision we make in life is a compromise, and every compromise has its side effects. We all need the money to get by, but there's so much more to it than that. Be prepared to spend an enormous amount of time out there alone. If you have a family, especially children, please set a limit of five days gone at a time, and try to get by with even less. Time spent away from your family and friends has been made a million times nicer with the technologies that have come along, but holding your wife and children in your arms can never, ever be replaced, and neither can the time you lose without them by your side.

I have a website called TruckingTruth.com with tons and tons of free helpful information for anyone considering a truck driving career. I also have a book called "Becoming A Truck Driver: The Truth", that covers a million topics that will help you decide if trucking is right for you.

Thanks for your time. I hope this helped a little bit. Good luck.

Becoming a Truck Driver: How I Got Started In Trucking

I don't believe there is anyone in America, or a multitude of other countries for that matter, who hasn't considered becoming a truck driver. We've all wondered from time to time what life would be like traveling the highways day in and day out ... living on the road, seeing the sites, meeting people from far and wide, and watching the sunrise and set from one coast to the other...what would it be like?



I did exactly that for the better part of fifteen years and I can tell you one thing - I wouldn't trade my time on the road for anything in the world. I was blessed with the ability to do any number of other things. Becoming a truck driver was never any goal or consideration of mine, and I never knew anyone who had done it. I simply came across it by chance once upon a time on a hot summer day in Atlanta....and everything changed in my life from that day on.



Working for $5.50/hr in a warehouse as a 21 year old man-child I arrived at work one day to find a Ryder truck parked in the lot. I was told we had to haul some pallets of literature downtown and exchange them for yet another group of pallets to bring back. It was the largest straight truck that Ryder offered....and I had never even seen the inside of one. But I was determined to be the one to make the trip in it. So how was I going to convince them to let me do it? The only way I could - I was gonna lie my brains out. I told the boss my aunt had moved twice and my grandma had moved once and all three times I drove the truck...same size truck as the one out in the lot.



Amazingly enough they gave me the OK to take it downtown. What were they thinking???? So away I went. The trip went perfectly and I did what I was supposed to do. I went downtown, they unloaded me, reloaded the truck (after their lunch break of course), and I returned safe and sound. Upon arrival I immediately went to my best friend and joyously exclaimed that not only was that a lot of fun, but I didn't even have to do any work that day...."all I did was drive" - and the light bulb came on.



I went home and looked up the only trucking company I knew of and found out that I would start at $40,000/year. I was making $15,000 at the time...including overtime!  Becoming a truck driver was exactly what I was going to do....and a month later I was in trucking school.



I graduated, got hired with a great company on graduation day, and had an awesome career. I made excellent money, met thousands of people, saw many of the most famous sites in America, and many others that were just as beautiful but mostly unknown.  It's not an easy life - but if you're the right type of person for it there is no other job like it in the world. You'll learn so much about yourself, your country, and the people you share it with. You'll experience the differences in culture from city to city and region to region. You'll make very good money, have a ton of fun, and have a career that keeps our economy moving and makes you feel like you've accomplished something worthwhile....and you have.



The moral of the story? Lie. Lie like crazy! No, I'm just kidding. The real moral of the story is that sometimes you have to take chances in life. If you ever want to get anywhere worth going it will take risk, courage, and faith in yourself to get there.



I'll be writing about a lot of issues regarding the trucking industry and life as a truck driver in the coming weeks and months. I've already written a book about becoming a truck driver that has tons and tons of stories from my years on the road and advice to anyone considering a career as a truck driver. I also have a website with tons of free content - it's at www.truckingtruth.com, which has truck driving stories from my years on the road, links to trucking schools and recruiters, advice about becoming a truck driver, and some excerpts from my book. You'll like the site...there's a lot of helpful information there.



I'd love to hear from you and answer any questions you might have. Email me from my website at www.truckingtruth.com and I'll be sure to get back to you.



Til next time.....take care.