Trucking Myths

There are several myths about trucking that should be dispelled at this point.

• Being a long-haul trucker is like being on vacation all the time, because you get paid to see the country. This statement has actually been made to truck drivers by people who were thinking of entering the industry.

There are several reasons why this is not true, the most important of which is time. You will seldom have time to stop and see what you want to see when you want to see it. More often than not, your layovers will occur around major cities or in a remote location not of your choosing. The chances of spending time at a ski area in the winter or at the beach in summer are possible, but slim.

Another major problem is parking. Most of the places that have something interesting to do or see do not allow trucks to park anywhere near them.

• Truck drivers are the last true American cowboys. Although there may be some similarities, i.e., the driver spends a lot of time on the road away from home as the cowboy did on the range, a cowboy attitude will mainly cause you trouble in the trucking industry.

It is much easier to succeed if you approach the industry with the goal of being a true professional. Being an "outlaw" trucker may sound like more fun, but in the long run, it is the people who dress, speak, and act as professionals who make a rewarding career out of trucking.

• TV or movie versions of truck drivers are accurate depictions. These drivers seem to spend most of their time doing everything but driving. In actuality, you will be very busy taking care of business in the form of loading, unloading, driving, stopping at weigh stations, fueling and checking the truck and load, and trying to find time to eat, shower, and sleep.

You will be hard pressed to find time to rescue damsels in distress, or for you women drivers, hunks in distress, and all the other bogus missions that fictitious drivers get involved in.

Unfortunately, it is not safe to help damsels or anyone else in distress these days, because they or someone hiding in the bushes may pull a gun on you. This is sad, but true. Providing help on the road must be approached with extreme caution.

The image you get of truck drivers over the CB is accurate. Unfortunately, the vocal few have done a lot to portray the vast majority of drivers in a very unflattering light. Many drivers seldom run with their CB on or say anything if they are monitoring it.

In order to have a decent conversation with another driver, it is often necessary to go to an alternate channel. It is unfortunate that a tool which can be so beneficial in many instances has been so badly abused.

Restaurants with a lot of trucks around them are good places to eat. Although this will be true in some cases, the main reason trucks are at certain restaurants is because parking is allowed and there is room to do so.

Truck stops are increasingly becoming travel stops that cater to the travelling public as much as to truck drivers, so their restaurants are similar to other main-stream restaurants.

There are exceptions: Some old-style truck stops around the country still serve a more home-style meal at a very fair price and are worth patronizing once you find them.

An Important Question to Ask

Possibly the most important question to ask yourself when considering which area of trucking to go into is, "How often do I need to get home and how much time do I need at home?" Underestimating the difficulty of being gone so much of the time is probably the most common reason that a large number of truck- driving school graduates leave the business within their first year.

As a rookie, you will be apt to make more money with an over-the-road job. The high-paying local jobs go to more experienced drivers. The tradeoff between potential earnings and time off is an issue that needs to be thoroughly discussed with all family members involved.

Do not forget to take into account the approximately $20 per day necessary to live on the road when comparing one type of job with another.