For many people, trucking is the most fantastic job in the world. There are very few ways to feel as free as when you’re helming one of the most powerful vehicles on the planet and barrelling down the open road.
However, that being said, you should keep in mind that trucking isn’t easy. It takes determination, a lot of hard work, fierce commitment, and perhaps most importantly—a cheerful disposition. Unfortunately, plenty of newbie drivers make common mistakes that sabotage their careers before they even have a chance to get off the ground. And we’ll help you avoid some of those right here!
Be Ready For Challenges
There are no two ways about it — if you want truck driving to be your career, you need to be ready for the myriad challenges you’ll face along the way. At the very least, you’ll go on a serious emotional rollercoaster before achieving your goals.
Before your CDL training is over, you might even second-guess the idea of taking trucking on as your career. However, this is only the first of many challenges you’ll go through; in retrospect, a couple of months of CDL education will seem like nothing. This is where a positive attitude is essential—you need to have your long-term goals in mind and keep your eye on the ball.
After a lot of rookie mistakes and an immense amount of frustration, you’ll have one of the most impressive skills known to man — the ability to safely and effectively handle a mechanical beast that’s 70 feet long and tens of thousands of pounds heavy.
Once you reach that point, the stress that comes with learning will slowly subside. Backing will become a routine; you’ll learn to communicate better with dispatch and how to deal with mechanical failures. Of course, it’s always best to call roadside truck and trailer repair — but at least you’ll be able to recognize what you’re dealing with.
Most importantly, when you reach that level of knowledge and experience, you’ll get a huge confidence boost! At that point, you’ll look back at the difficulties of learning how to become a trucker with a sentimental smile.
Manage Your Expectations
Like in almost any other career, getting through your first year is the hardest thing in trucking — after that, you’re much less of a rookie. However, to get through it, the first thing you’ll need to learn is how to manage your expectations.
Most people have a romanticized idea of what trucking is like when they first dip their toes into the profession, which also happens in almost any line of work. However, that idealized view tends to get shaken up the first time you need to go to the restroom in the middle of a violent blizzard or when a careless driver puts you (and themselves) in danger.
Traffic backups and mechanical problems are inevitable at some point; shippers sometimes cancel a load, or you get rerouted, and every plan is upended. One of the first things you’ll learn about trucking is that it’s much more of a “dynamic work environment” than the boring office jobs that usually claim that they are.
All of this means you need to learn some flexibility. And if that annoys or stresses you out too much, trucking might not be for you — and that’s fine! Make sure you’ve given the whole thing a real college try before quitting. If you power through the initial learning curve, you’ll find one of the most rewarding, dynamic, and exciting jobs you could ever have.
Many people also don’t pass their CDL exams immediately but become some of the best truckers later. Don’t let stuff like that discourage you!
Don’t Be Arrogant
Once you learn the ropes, it’s natural to feel some confidence. However, be careful not to let it spill into arrogance. Needlessly overconfident drivers usually wind up having the most accidents and struggling more than others. Keep yourself humble and alert, and you’ll profit the most in the long run.
Also, being a perfectionist trucker is the easiest way to make mistakes. Don’t let beginner’s mistakes made by every rookie driver in the world hang over your head, and don’t get beat up about them. Arriving late, getting into a minor accident, locking yourself out of the rig — all of these happen to almost everybody at some time or another.
Don’t expect the best local jobs, high pay, an automatic truck, and weekends off on your first job. The most desirable work will always go to the more experienced drivers — the way to get them is to put on some mileage, so don’t be annoyed when you’re not offered the best conditions right away.
However, if you work hard, obtain the necessary skills, and show you can complete tasks in a timely and safe manner — you’ll start getting better work in no time!