What is it like to be a long haul trucker?

Deciding to become a long haul truck driver is not just about starting a new career, but beginning a new lifestyle; the trucker lifestyle. As with every career, there are both pros and cons to becoming a long haul driver, as well as living the trucker lifestyle.  In this blog, we go over the pros and cons of both!

The Pros

The pros of long haul trucking are being independent, paid to travel, experiencing something different every day, job security and lower costs. These are some of the reasons that many men and women choose to follow the trucker lifestyle.

Unlike most nine to five jobs, being a long haul trucker means that you can set your own schedule for the most part. While your destination and driving hours are predetermined, how you spend those eight to ten hours is up to you.

There are few jobs out there that pay you to travel and see the country. Traveling gives long haul truckers the opportunity to see professional sports games, visit large metros and meet people from all over.

Although it is important to maintain a daily schedule, the long haul trucker lifestyle brings something new every day. Instead of falling into a monotonous routine, new challenges and adventures await you every day. One day may require you to drive more than the next. The same goes for deliveries. A trucker can spend more of his time at loading docks on any given day. 

 Another pro of becoming a long haul truck driver is that on average, truckers can make a comfortable salary. The income is offset by the relatively low expense of earning a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in a short amount of time.

After a few months, CDL drivers can actually earn a similar salary to a recent college graduate. Drivers can also save money by living in their cabs instead of renting an apartment that they might rarely visit anyway.

The Cons

There are cons to fully committing to the trucker lifestyle such as developing unhealthy habits, loneliness, regulations, danger and being away from home for long periods. These factors all add up to make long haul trucking one of the toughest jobs out there. It takes a special person to be a long haul trucker.

Being on the road for a long time may cause truckers to adopt unhealthy habits which can develop into long term health concerns. So it’s essential that truck drivers are doing what they can to take care of their bodies and their health.

The trucker lifestyle can also lead to mental health issues as well such as depression and loneliness. A way that drivers can combat this is to communicate with loved ones as much as possible through phone and video calls. If these feelings continue though, it is important to reach out to a professional and seek proper help.

While regulations like electronic logging devices (ELDs) were created to help drivers, they might be more of a hindrance than anything else. Dispatchers now have logs of when the engine is running, stalling and off. This was meant to prevent drivers from being overworked, but drivers may now start going faster to meet deadlines within shorter time frames.

Lastly, being away from home for a long time is hard on the trucker and their loved ones as well. Long hauls can be stressful for even the most loving and committed couples. 

Becoming a long haul driver and beginning the trucker lifestyle may sound overwhelming, but with the right mindset and proper knowledge this career decision can really pan out the way you envision it. Consider these pros and cons when considering becoming a professional trucker. 
At TransWood, we understand that the trucker lifestyle can be chaotic from time to time. That’s why we provide our drivers with the proper training, equipment and resources to make sure things aren’t harder than they should be. If you are interested in taking your trucking career to the next level, consider applying to TransWood Carriers today!