Reasons to Become a Truck Driver; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

People frequently ask us why we decided to become truck drivers, seemingly due to our age, but it could also be because of the lack of interest from the younger generations. One of the first steps we took before joining the trucking industry was going to truck stops to get the drivers perspective, personally. In those visits to the truck stops, we were told by some drivers not to bother, to find a better field, and a few sarcastic "good luck" wishes were thrown our way. Though we didn't let it stop us, it's a sentiment we have come to understand 8 years later.

Trucking wasn't hard to fall in love with but it has come with it's fair share of monotonous crap. You'll hear the term "hurry up and wait" used a lot. We work in a demanding industry where your company puts more hurry in the freight than some of the shippers and receivers do. There will be times that you sit for hours waiting to get loaded or unloaded. Customers will drain your clock and they won't care, or so it seems.

The same customer will have no driver facilities for you to sit and wait in, and some won't even have a restroom for you to use. It will come to you as a slap in the face, as it does for all of us. Some serious faults in this industry are the thankless rapport and downright disregard towards drivers but every industry has it's faults, regardless of how much you come to love it.

Then you will come across the customer's who will treat you like you're human. They will welcome you in and immediately show you where the restroom is after offering you a hot cup of coffee or candy off their desk. This will happen right after leaving the security guard who asked what kind of dog you had in the cab, and if they could give said dog a delectable treat. Your next customer will offer you a accommodation's to park and wait, or recommend the best restaurant in town to go check out while they ready the freight. So a glimpse of hope still lies before the latter.

After all is said and done, trucking is still the millennials dream job. You get paid to travel the country with the freedom of a self operating business. Your annual "rookie" income will have you grinning ear to ear and you can increase it's value by taking what you learn to become a true business owner. The trucking industry has a very serious (and only growing) demand in all areas of specialty, so the sooner - the better.

Many drivers will tell you they came out here for financial stability, and that's a valid point. Trucking surely can help pay off large amounts of debt in a short amount of time but the job comes with costs and temptations, like gambling. Too many drivers will spend time at the nation's casinos all along our interstates because they're also very truck friendly. If you don't already frequent casinos, this shouldn't be an issue - you can find yourself sitting on a nice savings in no time.

Then there's the opportunity for growth ,which is very evident. Something that we were able to attain when discipline, integrity, and curiosity were steadily applied. This industry was made for the entrepreneurial type when you learn of the amount of divisions available to you just for holding a CDL in the first place. Pace yourself, be eager to ask questions, and learn as much as you can under a company before deciding to take on the responsibility of becoming an owner operator.

If you have any questions about how to get started in the industry, give us a shout here.

Run Hard - Dream Big,

- MIT