Facts About the Truck Driver Lifestyle
This year, more than ever, we have experienced how important the work of truckers is. They, along with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and shop assistants looked after our well-being under quarantine. Thanks to them, the shelves in the stores were filled with food and hygiene products, and hospitals received medicines and necessary equipment on time. The need for this profession is growing every year. But not everyone is ready for the trucker’s lifestyle. If you are just thinking about getting started in the trucking industry, here are a few lifestyle features of drivers to be prepared for. Spoiler alert: there are a lot of pros too.
Freedom
You no longer need to sit in the office for 8 hours per day. Now your truck is your office and the view outside the window is constantly changing. No one is looking over your shoulder as you work, because you are your own boss now. Especially if you are an owner-operator. Our advice is to choose companies without forced dispatch. BTW if you are looking for a job for owner-operators and want to decide by yourself when and how many times you will be on the road, Owner Operator Land can help you. Apply now on our website.
Explore the country
Being an OTR truck driver means to be a traveler. You’ll get a unique view of the country, visit new cities and natural locations, enjoy beautiful sunrises and sunsets. So “getting paid to travel” will become your reality.
Be an early bird
If you’ve decided to become a truck driver, chances are your days will start very early – between 3 am and 5 am. It is very important to deliver loads on time. So you need to take into account that on the road you can get into a traffic jam, or weather conditions can deteriorate, or your truck can fail. And remember that Federal regulations limit the amount of time a driver can be on the road.
Your truck is your home now
On average most drivers cover 125,000 miles a year. And for OTR drivers who spend weeks on the road, their truck becomes their second home. You can save a lot of money by spending the night in a truck instead of a motel. Fortunately, there are some gadgets that will make your truck more comfortable and functional: mini-fridge, coffee maker, slow cooker, electric blanket, ‘white noise’ device, tablet for watching movies or reading books, etc.
Trucker’s own language
Yes, it exists. And if you want to understand other truck drivers on a CB radio, it would be better for you to know it too. For example, “10-4” means “ok”, “buster brown” – “UPS truck”, “bear” – “police officer”, etc.
A lot of waiting
Unfortunately, you will spend a lot of time parked: waiting to be loaded or unloaded, or have to do a break because of the HOS rules. Either way, this part of the trucker’s job can be really annoying.
