Thinking About a Career in Trucking? Three Tips to Help Your Decision
Posted June 9, 2019
Commercial truck driving can be a very rewarding career, but it's not for everybody.
The job of a truck driver is a unique one, and it’s not one you can just try out to see if you like it. Becoming a truck driver requires schooling which takes significant time and effort. While you could ride along with an established driver, the reality of a truck driving career, or any career for that matter, doesn't set in until you've been in it for a year or more.
Therefore, it is important to gather as much information as possible about a career in truck driving before you decide to taking the plunge. If you are currently thinking about this career, consider the following tips to help you decide.
1. You Should Be a Good Communicator
You might think of the job of a truck driver as being a solo affair. However, truck drivers must constantly interact with other people to be effective, and that requires solid communication skills.
First of all, a truck driver must be able to communicate effectively with their dispatcher. A dispatcher provides important information to drivers about various jobs, enabling drivers to deliver loads on time and intact.
A driver should also be able to communicate effectively with customers, particularly when it comes to loading and unloading shipments. Poor communication with customers can result in a lot of wasted time and poor customer satisfaction.
A truck driver also has to communicate with maintenance workers. Shop time is typically unpaid downtime. Therefore, you should strive to get in and out as rapidly as you can. You can manage that downtime effectively with good communication.
2. Your Family Should Be Fully Onboard
Normally, you're away from home more than you are there. This can place a lot of stress on your family. They must handle your share of responsibilities, take care of various chores and essentially run the household. This added stress can be hard to handle and seriously disrupt the relationships within a family.
When you're on the road, you are also away from the emotional support we all rely on to get through the challenges of life. It’s difficult to get this type of support through phone calls and video chats.
3. You Probably Won't Get Rich
Perhaps because truck drivers work long hours and the job is demanding, you might be under the impression you can make a lot of money as a truck driver. Although there are some highly lucrative opportunities, there are high operating costs associated with over-the-road truck driving, especially if you’re an owner-operator.
Yes, you can make a comfortable living, but you probably won't become a billionaire.
Let Us Tell You More About Truck Driving
At Ambassador Personnel, we regularly connect folks to truck driving opportunities, and we can give you an in-depth look at what a career in truck driving looks like. Please contact us today to work with a full-service staffing firm and learn more about this career option.