Love For The Road

Do you wander why so many people flood through trucking schools every week, and why the turnover rate is actually above 100%? (not sure how they calculate that) But the fact is, people come from all walks of life,and all ages to "try their hand" out on the open road, and why so many wash out if not within the first few months, the first year? I guess a lot of the appeal is the money people "think" truck drivers make, and don't get me wrong, some do, like myself. But it took me 14 years to get to this point, and I've always worked just as hard as I do now, and for very little money compared to where I'm at today. But I guess people who come into the industry with a lot of financial obligations already, and a family at home right off the bat have a very high chance of failure.

Sadly most people don't really realize what they are getting themselves into until they are actually out on the road, probably with a trainer and making pennies on the dollar, so to speak. They were probably suckered into the industry by some recruiter, whose job is to fill seats, so naturally they're not going to tell you the real truth of life on the road.

I was fortunate to have come into the industry at a young age, I was single with very little bills and a deep passion to succeed because I just loved trucking, and life on the road. I've never been very good at sitting still for very long, so I fell right into this lifestyle with little difficulty.

I'll tell you this, it's not an easy life at all, especially in the refrigerated business where I've spent 90% of my 14 years on the road. Tight deadlines, long lonely times away from home and my family, stress over bills and debt I've acquired over the years, dealing with traffic and the DOT and so on. But never have I ever considered in any seriousness going home and throwing in the towel, or getting a "local" job, as many have done.

The things that keep me truckin' on are the simple things really, I love rolling down that highway at night under the moon and stars, the peace and serenity of it all. The sunrises and sunsets of the western skies, the mountains and snow capped peaks along the way, the brotherhood of the highway and my fellow truckers, the only ones who really get me.

Trucking is a demanding career, it's the "other man/woman" of a relationship so to speak, yes trucking is what it is, and when the road calls, you gotta roll! America isn't going to stand still for nobody, and without us she will come to a screeching halt very quickly. So if you want to succeed in over the road trucking, you have to love trucking above all the hardships! Even if you plan on settling down to a more local lifestyle in the future, you're here now, and you better learn to love it!

Enjoy the experience, the journey, living a life that many people only dream of. This I've learned through social media over the years, so many people become friends with truckers because they are fascinated with our lives. That which they can't for whatever reason pursue on their own, they live vicariously through us, and see the world through our windshields, and they are on the journey with us. Remember one thing, trucking is a lifestyle, not a job. The hours will vary everyday, you must work nights, days, weekends, holidays, it's best you just forget the term "sleep schedule".  People say you shouldn't be defined by your job, but in my case that isn't true, I am a TRUCKER, as my tattoo on my right arm proudly professes. It's not just what I do, it's who I am! But to each their own, not everyone is as passionate about this life as I am.