The Art of Truck Driving
Truck driving isn’t just a profession. It’s also a lifestyle and an art. If you know any truck drivers, the unique perspective on life may be familiar to you.
Whether you’re a seasoned driver or are interested in becoming one, here are some of the most important things to keep in mind about trucking as a profession.
Consider Your Personality
If you’re considering trucking as a career, you should be the kind of person to enjoy a long drive and just love being out on the open road.
There are many benefits to this career, and it allows you a lot of time to yourself. It may not be a perfect fit if your favorite part of a job is interacting with your coworkers, because truckers spend a lot of time alone.
Truck driving will give you plenty of time to see and savor the beauty of different landscapes across the country.
Your experiences on the road could end up being rewarding and add a new perspective to your life. You’ll have plenty of time during your services to discover real life.
Get Training First
Before you can become a professional truck driver, you’ll need to get a commercial driver’s license. Just like a normal license, you’ll need to get a permit first, so you can legally practice driving semi-trucks.
Many drivers feel that truck driving school provided them with the technical skills needed not only to drive a truck but also how to handle cargo and read any map.
Another thing you’ll find truck driving school provides is the practical skills needed to become a truck driver—like planning a route, keeping a log, and driving safely.
The better you get at truck driving, the more safely you’ll be able to travel, even over difficult terrain and through adverse weather.
Choose a Career Path
You may think all truck driving is the same, but in fact, there are several ways to approach your career as a truck driver.
What kind of truck driver would you like to be? Some truck drivers are local and stay in the same general area, while others are considered on-the-road drivers, and they drive long distances.
If you love teaching, training others to become truck drivers can actually become part of the job.
You may be wondering, to have your career be profitable, do you drive a certain number of miles every day? For many drivers, there’s a focus on hitting as many miles as possible, but some jobs may require fewer miles.
During your job search, read about as many different jobs as you can.
Keep Your Truck in Tip-Top Shape
Any truck driver would agree that it’s important to keep your vehicle in the best condition possible. If you’re going to spend hours out on the road, you need to know how to do routine maintenance.
For most truckers, this means checking both the trailer and the tractor at the start of each day and at the end of the day, too.
If you want to keep your trailer and truck in the best condition possible, getting commercial trucking insurance is key. It can protect you in case of an accident. Some insurance covers just your truck and trailer, but there’s also insurance to cover your cargo.
Do Your Research
If you want to appreciate the art of truck driving, there are plenty of ways to learn more about it.
You can read a book or two on truck driving to learn more about truckers, the art of truck driving, and life as a driver. That might give you more insight into the reality of driving as a profession, and how other people have found ways to make the best of it.
Certain behaviors will greatly improve your life as a truck driver, and that’s part of the art of truck driving. For example, trip planning is a useful practice that doesn’t always come naturally to new truckers, and it can make your work go much more smoothly.
Another useful trick is learning how to eat healthily on the road. Over time, you’ll probably want to figure out ways to stay nourished without eating fast food every day. You can bring basic cooking tools like slow cookers along with you for easy meals.
Stay Alert and Keep Track of Your Trailer
If you talk to any seasoned driver, they’ll probably tell you that they always drove with safety in mind before anything else.
Driving safely means understanding how to navigate a large truck around other, smaller vehicles. You can learn more about defensive driving and careful maneuvering through your experiences on the road.
As you drive, it’s important to pay attention to the trailer behind you and make sure the items you’re transporting are unharmed.
There’s a learning curve to becoming aware of the trailer behind your truck, but it’s very important to remember the size and shape of the vehicle you’re driving.
Appreciate the Experiences
Truck driving is a unique job that doesn’t keep you stuck at a desk all day. There are certain trade-offs that come with the profession, but for the right kind of person, driving a truck can be a rewarding job.
Through your work, you’ll discover real-life experiences. Though most of your workday will be spent inside the cab, the work will likely also take you around the country. You’ll get to see parts of it you might never have visited on your own.
Bond With Other Truck Drivers
Truck drivers who have spent a lot of time on the open road enjoy amusing anecdotes and stay on top of the latest news in the truck driving world. The more you get to know your peers, the more you’ll learn about anecdotes and stay safe.
You can even ask a new acquaintance how many miles under his belt he has collected as a truck driver. The answer might inspire you!
Once you’re an expert, you could end up training others to become truck drivers just like yourself.
If you want to learn more about driving, pay a visit to our blog post about driving at day vs at night.
Choose the Right Truck Insurance
No matter what path you take, you’ll need trucking insurance to keep you covered in case of any issues.
We offer an affordable option, our agents are available to provide you a free truck insurance quote.
If you want to learn more about your insurance options, contact us at SoCal Truck Insurance today.
