If you think that being a truck driver isn’t easy, you are absolutely right. Yet there are some people who don’t give them enough credit for what they do.
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You probably heard that truck drivers are only paid for driving from one point to another, and those trucks are capable of handling severe weather conditions and difficult roads.
Oh well! Truck drivers know best what their job is about and let us remind you that every job has its pros and cons.
Unfortunately, there are some misconceptions about their job that are not only false but also outrageous.
You could get to know them better by being a trucker or their passenger for a day but there’s no need to do that actually.
Whether you are curious about being a truck driver or ignore the nature of their job, let’s start debunking those myths together.
Trucking doesn’t require any physical or mental effort
False. In fact, truckers aren’t exclusively paid for sitting on a comfortable cushion while transporting large a large quantity of materials and other items.
They are required to be in constant control of the vehicle, not to mention the mental and body strength that they need to keep that huge piece of metal moving.
From driving long hours on the highway to staying focused on the road all times, truckers don’t have it easy at all.
Trucking is a “man’s world” of work
As you already know we are living in an where diversity matters and that’s a fact even in this sector. There’s about 200,000 women that earn a living as truckers in the US.
So, assuming that truckers are all male and single is a fallacy. It just takes any person including male or female to obtain a CDL license to be part of the workforce.
The only requirement that people need to become a truck driver is to complete an approved training and show commitment.
A truck driver has little contact with family and friends
Assuming that truckers live in isolation because of the nature of their job is another common misconception.
It may be true that sometimes truckers are continuously driving long distances and missing out certain events in life, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be absent.
Thanks to technology and, more importantly, connectivity, truckers can always use their phone or other devices to make calls, text, and video chat their loved ones.
Truckers also have the choice of making short distance trips, drive with other colleagues, and meet new people while on the road.
Truckers are dangerous and cause road accidents
When it comes to road accidents, the probability for a truck driver to get involved in a car accident is three times higher compared to normal vehicles.
As a matter of fact, most accidents involving truckers are more to do with normal vehicles driving in blind spots and making abrupt stops in front of them.
In fact, driving experts always advise drivers to keep a prudent distant between their cars and a truck as big vehicles struggle more with being in control of their blind spots.
Truckers spend days without sleeping
Don’t expect truckers to be driving 48 hours non-stop. What you can expect is to see truckers switching roles to complete their task.
Other truck drivers have the option to spend the night at a nearby hotel for five hours to get their energy back before hitting the road.
Of course, truckers could still be affected by the lack of sleep but other unrelated factors including eating habits have a greater impact on their performance.
They always have enough time to sleep and recharge batteries regardless of how long they need to drive for.