Can a Love of Driving Lead to a Career in the Trucking Industry?

Can that love lead to a career in the trucking industry? It can, but you should consider a few factors first. You must think about more than the basics, like learning why truckers have an 11-hour driving limit or how much freight 18-wheelers can haul. You should also think about how the decision to become a truck driver might impact your lifestyle and the challenges that go along with it.

Truck Driving and Car Driving Have Some Major Differences

First, the most obvious issue: professional truck driving and driving the family sedan around town have some huge differences between them.

If you drive a car or you’re planning to buy a car, you must consider your vehicle’s size on the road. You might feel comfortable in an average-sized vehicle, but maybe you’ll feel entirely different the first time you get behind the wheel of a semi. You’re high off the road, and driving a car simply doesn’t look or feel like that.

Then, there’s the difference in the driving itself. You must learn all about how a truck feels when you’re operating it. It’s so different from driving a car that you need an entirely separate license.

Simply put, driving a car isn’t like driving a truck, and what you love about one might not necessarily translate. You must try truck driving before you can tell. Usually, after one or two attempts, you’ll know whether you feel the same passion or whether you should stick with the family station wagon instead.

You Must Pass a Different Driving Test

You must also pass a different driving test, and many people feel it’s more difficult. You must study the rules of the road that apply when driving a truck that don’t when you’re driving a car.

You can attend a truck driving school, and while you do, you can start appreciating the differences. Maybe you’ll still experience that same pleasure, but until you pass a pretty difficult test and get your license, you won’t truly know.

You Must Consider All the Time You’ll Spend on the Road

Also, if you drive recreationally, you may love it. When you start doing something professionally, though, that can sometimes take the joy out of it.

You might love driving before you become a trucker, but once you make that switch, perhaps you’ll reevaluate how you feel. Some people love to cook, but once they become a professional chef, they loathe it. Professional truck driving might take you down the same path.

You should consider that you’ll spend many hours every week on the road. Your family must accept that as well. If you’re unattached, that’s no big deal. If you have a spouse or significant other and some kids, though, you’re exchanging your time with them for the stability of the trucking life and the paychecks that come with it.

You Should Consider Some Possible Dangers That Go with the Lifestyle

Also, some dangers accompany the trucker lifestyle you won’t see when driving a car. For one thing, there’s the vehicle’s size and weight. If you hit someone or something with your car, you can certainly cause some damage. That’s nothing compared to what an 18-wheeler can do, though.

Even if you accept those risks and feel you have the skill behind the wheel the job requires, you must watch yourself when spending time at seedy truck stops and diners along America’s roadways. If you’re 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, maybe no one will see you as a target. If you’re a diminutive person, though, the road can get dangerous in a hurry.

You can try to avoid perilous-looking places like poorly lit parking lots, but there’s a reality that comes with this lifestyle. You’re alone a lot, and often, you’re far from home. Even if you try to stay safe as much as possible, certain aspects of the job carry inherent risks.

You might try truck driving and find you love it, just like driving a car. Usually, you won’t know for sure till you get behind the wheel and let the horn rip a few times. Trucking might just end up being perfect for you.