The trucking industry has opened its doors to a lot of Truck Drivers who are earning their living by transporting goods and raw materials with class 8 trucks.

In general, truck drivers are providing load transportation services which are essential for numerous other industries. In fact, if the trucking industry in the USA would stop for few days, all other industries will get to face difficulties.

Thereupon, truck drivers are faced with a lot of responsibilities on a daily basis. Also, all truck drivers who are part of the trucking industry should adhere to the strict rules which are being administered by the United States Department of Transportation.

Nevertheless, just a few people know the real side of truck drivers life– with what truck drivers are facing on a daily base? And what the trucking industry hides behind?

In general, the job that truck drivers are performing requires driving in unsafe weather conditions under strict time. That is to say that the profession that truck drivers have chosen is one of the most demanding and life-threatening occupations available across industrialized societies.

So, let’s see what truck drivers are facing on a daily basis.

Or more precisely, which are the good, the bad, and the ugly side of the trucking industry?

1. The Good Side Of The Trucking Industry

Becoming a truck driver means getting to enjoy many advantages.

In general, truck drivers who are part of the trucking industry for a long time are pretty much satisfied with their careers due to the higher than average salary. The chance of advancement that this profession brings, as well as the good benefits.

Thereupon, many truckers got attracted to this type of profession due to the fact that they get to be their own bosses- sort of.

Let me be more precise, company truck drivers do have bosses but they are not working in an office with a boss who is looking directly over their shoulder.

Moreover, the trucking industry is attracting many truck drivers because of the non-traditional working environment.

A Great Salary Plan

As I mentioned before, the good side of the trucking industry brings a great salary plan with a lot of bonuses and increased payment.

Did you know that many leading trucking companies in the USA are guaranteeing to their truck drivers pay raises as they add on years of experience?

Not only that they do so, but trucking companies are also paying their truck drivers a higher salary for being reliable and for delivering the loads on-time too.

Future truck drivers should keep in mind that West Virginia and Mississippi are the high paying states for rookie truck drivers. The average salary for rookie truck drivers, in general, is $34.000 on a yearly basis.

Get an Extra Bonus

Extra bonuses come altogether with the great salary plan.

That is to say, trucking companies are providing truck drivers the opportunity to enjoy additional benefits if they haul particular loads at a particular distance in a safe and on-time manner.

Also, many truck drivers nowadays are being awarded by trucking companies for having extraordinary safety records.

Truckers Get To See Different Scenery

One of the most amazing benefits that the trucking industry can bring to truck drivers is the enjoyment of the different scenery.

Since truck drivers are for a long time on the road and are constantly driving different routes, straight proportionally they get to travel to places they have never visited before.

Most often truck drivers don’t get to be tourists in the cities they are delivering or picking up the loads, but at least they get the chance to see new sceneries.

All in all, the trucking industry is providing an amazing way of letting truck drivers see and do new things.

Have More Flexibility

Truck driving is a very dynamic job, but at the same time, it is offering flexibility.

The lifestyle of truck drivers implies that they are living every day in a completely new and different way.

Moreover, many trucking companies are setting flexible schedules, all that with the purpose to retain their high-performing truck drivers.

Even truck drivers can decide what type of hauls in some trucking companies.

As well truck drivers can decide whether they want to drive cross-region, long-distance or local routes.

Work With Teams

Team trucking is not something uncommon in the trucking industry.

As a matter of fact, there are more and more truck drivers these days who prefer to work as a team- with a colleague or a spouse.

But, before you decide that you want to start a career as a team truck driver you should make sure that you have chosen a reliable and responsible person as a teammate. After all sharing your truck/home on the road with someone that you not know is not as easy as one might think.

The main reason why team truck driving has spread significantly in the past decade is due to the high salary that team truckers receive. A single team trucker can earn, up to $100,000 per year.

Job Security

Truck drivers, once they get into the on-going scheme of the trucking industry, can gain more security in the position.

In general, the trucking industry is pretty much a secure market.

As well, truck driver’s shortage adds up more to job securement, which is a great benefit that the trucking industry is offering to truckers. A few years of safe driving under your belt can also bring job security to truckers.

2. The Bad Side Of The Trucking Industry

Believe it or not, the U.S. trucking industry has few bad sides too.

In order for a person to become a successful truck driver, he must be extremely patient, independent and a self-starter.

Moreover, truck drivers are facing on a daily basis with traffic, accidents, getting fuel and many other things in between. All these things coupled together can bring a lot of stress to truckers.

So, let’s see what the bad side of the trucking industry includes:

Stress and Health

Patience is the crucial characteristic that a truck driver should possess in order to stay healthy and successful in the trucking industry.

Thereupon, on a daily basis truck drivers are facing with:

• Delays;
• Deadlines;
• Lazy shippers;
• City traffic;
• Bad weather;
• Lack of parking spaces;
• Living in a very small space- truck cab;

All these things make stress to be an inevitable factor in truck drivers’ lives.

On the other hand, straight proportionally with the stress that truck drivers are experiencing on a daily basis comes the bad health conditions.

By the same token, truck drivers spend weeks and months driving behind the wheel- which means that they are not moving a lot and are not exercising. Also the lifestyle that truck drivers are leading brings them unhealthy food habits.

The majority of truck drivers who are operating in the U.S. trucking industry are feeding themselves with snacks and fast food, which they buy on truck stops. It is the main reason why truck drivers gain pounds quicker than other people.

Irregular Sleep Patterns and Weather

Irregular sleep patterns can lead truck drivers to be fatigued and drowsy. In fact, it is the number one cause that leads to truck accidents.

That is why nowadays there are many federal rules and regulations given by the Department of Transportation DOT and the Hours of Service HOS, that regulate how much truckers sleep in a given 24 hour period.

Yet, one more issue that truck drivers are facing with when on the road is the weather difference. One day a truck driver can drive in one country where the weather is warm, and the next day he is driving in another country where the weather is freezing.

Some truck drivers have a hard time facing with the weather impacts. Whereas others have difficulties facing with the irregular sleep patterns.

Time Away From Home

Truck drivers are spending a lot of time away from home. Sometimes they can be for a longer period of time on the road than they are on the road.

So, if truck drivers are married or have boyfriend/girlfriend then they should home that their better half has a lot of understanding about the profession that they have chosen. All in all, truck driver relationship most often are complicated ones.

It might happen that truck drivers are on the road for three months in a row, which can complicate the relationship.

Thereupon, the lack of time spent at home can definitely lead to problems with your loved ones and friends.

Showering In Places Away From Home

Personal hygiene is of a great importance for truck drivers as it is for everyone. But truck drivers every now and then have difficulties in finding good bathroom facilities.

Even if a truck driver finds a good facility where he can take a decent sleep it might be separated from them for weeks and days. Lately, we can notice that more and more truck stops are fighting for truckers’ rights- they want to provide them free showers.

Tip: The truck driver should pay attention to his hygiene first of all because of his health, and second of all because of his physical representation of the trucking company he is driving for.

Living, Working and Sleeping In Your Truck

Truck drivers are living in their truck for months, weeks and days, which might be a real challenge for rookie truck drivers.

Thereupon, truck drivers both regional and long-haul ones should try to create a home sweet home from their truck cabins.

The truck driver always tends to make truck cabin their home on the road. Just like in any home, truck drivers want to live in comfort in their truck cabins.

3. The Ugly In The Trucking Industry

The trucking industry has a lot of good sides, bad sides, and unfortunately few ugly sides.

All truck drivers are well aware of all the trucking industry can bring them, and how it can change their lives.

Thereupon, truck driving is a career choice just like any other, except that truck drivers nowadays are facing more difficulties than before. Understanding and living the lifestyle of truck drivers require a lot of patience and persistence.

Technology progression has made truck drivers life easier, but on the other hand the newly developed technology has brought new rules and regulations.

Further, you can read more about the ugly side of the trucking industry:

Loneliness

The lifestyle that truck drivers have chosen to live can be difficult because they are constantly on the road- away from their friends, family, and loved ones.

Although it is easy for truck drivers to detach easily from the life that they have been living before they entered in the trucking industry, still they have difficulties every now and then with the lack of contact with their loved ones.

Here are few tips that I have to recommend to all truck drivers who are facing with loneliness:

• Get in touch with your family as much as possible;
• Use social media or video messaging
• Make plans to integrate into family while you are still on the road;
• Make the best of the time when you get home;
• Be a part of family decisions;

The Greed of the Shippers

The ugly side in the trucking industry is bringing the shippers.

Shippers entered the trucking industry as trucker friends but as time passed by, they turned into their enemies.

Moreover, the shippers have become a competition to truck drivers which slowly but surely started to get profit from building large trucking companies.

In general, shippers are part of the ugly side in the trucking industry because they are operating on volume with lower freight rates which attracts more customers.

Later on, shippers are working the system of their advantage. That brings a negative impact for truck drivers.

Too Many Rules and Regulations

The trucking industry has become highly regulated. Truck drivers nowadays are facing too many rules and regulations.

Although the rules and regulations that truck drivers are faced with these days are primarily set for the aim of truck driver safety and safety of the general public engaged on the road, are bringing difficult times for them.

For example, the Hours of Service Safety Regulations are limiting truck driver for how many hours they can drive per day or per week.

On the other hand, truck drivers are facing with mobile phone restrictions as well. The FMCSA is restricting truck drivers the use of hand-held mobile devices. The fines that truck drivers can be charged if they get caught using a hand-held mobile device can cost starting from $2.750. As well truck drivers can face possible driver disqualifications.

Also, part of the rules and requirements that truck drivers are facing with is the Medical Examiner’s Certificate. That is to say, commercial truck drivers are required to provide their State Driver Licensing Agency SDLA a copy of their MEC- placed in the state driving records database.

Conclusion

All in all, the good, the bad and the ugly side of the trucking industry that I have included in this article is, in fact, the reality of the life that truck drivers are leading on a daily basis.

As you had the chance to read in this article, the life on the road is the most demanding and life-threatening occupations available across industrialized societies.

Although there are bad and ugly sides of the trucking industry, the good are the ones that are dominating- that is why the trucking industry is expanding so quickly. In fact, the trucking industry has the most impact on the U.S. economy.