The demand for truckers is growing every year. Despite the high salary and flexible schedule, cargo transportation annually lacks up to 100,000 employees. But today, everything we see in shops, on the streets, at work, and in factories is brought by truckers from different parts of the country and even from other continents.
Therefore, a trucker’s career is an excellent investment in the future and in your career. However, consider this profession from different perspectives before making a commercial driver’s license and applying for vacancies. Specialists from Logity Dispatch who have been working with truckers for more than one year will also help us with this.
Advantages and disadvantages of working as a trucker
Coming to the profession without rose-colored glasses and unrealistic hopes for a huge salary or a strenuous job is very important. And on the other hand, it is essential to get rid of stereotypes and look at the work of truckers as a promising career. Best selection of quality scannable fake id to choose from customized with your image and information
Advantages of working as a truck driver:
- Flexible working hours
Your main task is to deliver the cargo at the right time to the right place. Therefore, starting and finishing the working day depends only on you. But, of course, you need to understand that delivery times are usually tight, so you won’t be able to rest for days. But cargo transportation gives more freedom than working in an office, for example.
- Education requirements
You don’t have to graduate from college to become a trucker. Salary: From the point above, we give the following plus. After all, the salary of a trucker is one of the highest salaries among professions where higher education is not required. You should expect from the beginning of your career from $40,000 per year.
- A friendly team and responsible employers
Due to the shortage of workers, companies offer truckers favorable terms of cooperation and insurance. You will also find a pleasant team of like-minded people who love the road, just like you.
- Restrictions on working hours
By law, you are not allowed to work behind the wheel for more than 70 hours during an eight-day period. This means that there will be no situations where you drive around in a truck for days, get very tired, and do not get enough sleep. After all, the safety and lives of people depend on your cheerfulness and concentration. More about how many hours a truck driver can drive, you can read in this article.
Disadvantages of working as a truck driver:
- Constantly away from home and family
You can be on the road for weeks or even a whole month. This can be a big problem if you have a family, especially since, during the working season, you can stay at home for two to four days.
- Need to get a CDL
You need not only to apply but also to go to truck driving school for a month, drive a certain number of training miles, pass the exam and pay for it. Only after that do you get a commercial driver’s license, with which you can go to work. The cost of training varies from $ 3,000 to $5,000. But remember that some cargo transportation companies offer to pay for your training in total. We advise you to study the offers of these companies and choose the most suitable one.
- A lot of time alone with yourself
Not only are you away from your family, but you are also alone for long hours. For some people, this can be a real challenge, and for some, even an advantage of work. It all depends on the individual and his attitude to loneliness.
- Healthy lifestyle issues
Sedentary work and lack of healthy food affect your health. Of course, if this is important to you, there are special diets, portable refrigerators, and stoves for trucks exercises to maintain muscle tone. The main thing is to remember this and not sit in the cabin all day and eat exclusively fast food.
A typical truck driver’s day
Let’s look at how the average truck driver lives so that you understand what you will have to face in the future.
So, if the shift starts in the morning, then you wake up before 6 am. Many truckers do not want to waste time on breakfast at home and prepare their own food in the truck in advance to have a snack in the car. This is an excellent way to maintain a healthy diet and your budget. What about hygiene? Usually, there is a shower at the truck stops where you can clean yourself up. It costs up to $20, depending on the state and condition of the shower cabins.
Further, the trucker must inspect the truck before work — this is very important for the safety and speed of delivery. And after that, the work begins — you go to the designated place with your cargo. Sometimes you first eat for the cargo and only then to the destination.
Since the trucker knows his way in advance and where he will be in the evening, you can plan your vacation — park the truck, find a cafe for dinner, a model for sleeping or lay out a bed right in the truck. Before the end of the working day, you conduct another inspection of the truck for malfunctions, draw up documents about the inspection and the trip, and rest.