If you love the idea of an unconventional career that also pays really well, then you have probably considered being a truck driver.
People don’t realize it, but truckers are extremely important to the economy. If there aren’t enough truckers on the road, then we don’t have enough groceries, clothes or other products we rely on every day.
If you do become a truck driver, then understand that you are entering into a very important career, albeit a not very glamorous one.
Before you can decide, you need to know what to expect. In this article, I will go over some of the things not very many people know that truckers deal with.
The downsides
Let’s start with the negatives about being a truck driver as these may be deal breakers, no matter what the positives are.
First, there is the risk of accident. It stands to reason that if most of your time is spent on the road that an accident is more likely to happen to you. Reading through the blog for Lamber Goodnow, a truck accident lawyer, there are a lot of things to consider beyond just if you are injured or not. There is a long list of criteria in determining fault and chances are the blame will rest on you.
Second, it can be very lonely. You are alone all day and many nights. If you are a long distance trucker you can be alone for weeks at a time. Away from your family and friends. You may be an introvert, but this is not easy on anybody.
Third, your expenses are very high. In many cases, you are an independent contractor. This means that you pay for your own fuel and repairs. Changing the tires and doing other maintenance is very expensive on a truck. At the end of the year, you may see half of your pay is gone.
The upsides
Let’s start with the pay. While expenses can be quite high as a truck driver, despite paying up to 50% of your income on expenses, you can still take home over six figures.
That is a very good income for somebody with just a high school diploma and a commercial driver’s license. Yes, you need to go to truck driving school, but it doesn’t last long.
The next thing is flexibility. You can essentially work when you want. When you get a call, you can tell them you are not available. Or you can take a few months off a year and drive the rest and still make money. It’s up to you how much or little you want to work.
If you own your own truck cab you can even customize your vehicle, outside and inside. With the help of a power inverter, you can convert the DC power of your semi truck’s battery to AC and power up devices and appliances that run on AC power such as TV, computers, laptops, freezers, ovens, etc. You really turn your truck into a home away from home.
You don’t have a boss either. Yes, your dispatcher is sort of your boss. It just means that you are on the road and nobody is there breathing down your neck. You do have deadlines as you need to be somewhere on time, but aside from that there is nobody telling you what to do.
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