The Life of the Truck Driver: An Ode to the Road Warrior

The culturally respected truck driver breathes the air of more cities in a year than most people will during their lifetimes. The open road seems tempting and exotic to most, but is the trucker life as “free-born” as suggested? Does a career path full of adventure have its vices and constraints?

As you and your family are in tow towards the city to break bread with the rest of your kin, and you curse the slow moving flatbed for slowing you down, remember, the driver may have not even hugged their loved ones in weeks. The job that keeps America running is not for the needy and dependent; this career takes a person away from their family and stability for long periods at a time. The lone wolf persona does not beat in every trucker’s heart, thus anxiety and loneliness are common.  Imagine spending up to 300 days a year on the open road, void of returning home until every third week or so.

Camaraderie, however, is well planted amongst drivers. When one is missing their true home, they have their brothers and sisters to convene with, sharing stories of breakdowns in Louisiana or a festival they would have never been to if their 34 hour rest period wasn’t at the right time. When you rely on others to gift you shower credit, a tribal bond is most likely to be formed.

The pay must be fantastic then, right?  If you’re expected to spend more time with your dispatchers and big rig brethren, your paycheck must be heftier than Jack, who spends every Saturday and Sunday with his family. You expect to be compensated more than Luanne, who audits but then goes home strictly at five every single night, right?

You can expect to be paid by the mile, which usually comes in the form of “paid miles”. Paid miles ignore if you encounter delays and have to circle a usually straight route.  Paid miles follow a straight path, and sit in the lower end of the cent per mile spectrum.  A great estimate for a truck driver starting would not be desirable pay by most standards to experience this challenging career. You can, like any other career, move up the ladder and earn more for your trials. The tough-willed can flourish.

Touching on straight paths, this job title definitely owns its fair share of unexpected curve balls. Planning is a must, as having to back out of a cul-de-sac or heading towards a low clearance bridge can easily cause chaos. Combine these troubles with the planning the driver must coordinate due to their hours, and your “free-born” stereotype starts to fade a bit more.
If a shipper is delaying the loading, then there is another wrench thrown into the weave of complication. The driver relies heavily on others to responsibly do their job also; if there is one misstep by another party, all of their planning may be moot.

Though unexpected complications, long days at the wheel, and lonely nights may occur, a driver’s life is still full of adventure and stories most other jobs may never offer. The industry, on the whole, relies heavily on these hardy individuals. Trucking is an admirable and rewarding opportunity for those filled with gumption and curiosity.

Remember the humanity of the truck driver; every road warrior is not likely to be Humphrey Bogart in “They Drive by Night”.

 

Contributor: Matt Grudzinski