PROS AND CONS OF TRUCKING AS A CAREER CHANGE
David McElroy III
Operations Leader | Former Recruiter, HR & Transportation Expert | Strategic Problem-Solver | Continuous Learner | Building Relationships & Driving Results
Truck Drivers are in Demand
Before investigating the day-to-day of trucking, consider the?trucking industry’s status?in 2021.
Right now,?truck drivers are in demand. To meet current shipping industry needs, the market needs about?50,000?new truck drivers by the end of 2021. Between the pandemic and home-delivery services, more Americans purchase shipped goods than ever.?
By far, trucking is the cheapest way to transport items across many miles. Shipping by rail is?50% more expensive per mile. Considering the average truck driver covers over?80,000 miles each year,?that 1.5 times difference adds up fast.?
Has it ever been a bad thing to be employed in a growing industry? Want to get in on the profits of trucking? Decide if truck driving is right for you with this list of pros and cons of trucking!
Pros and Cons of Trucking: Explained
An average trucker’s day could consist of wall-to-wall traffic, loading tons of goods, or even complex engine maintenance. Despite the variability in each trucker’s day, keep reading to hear the consistently good aspects of the pros and cons of trucking.?
Pros of Trucking
Tight-Knit Community
Trucking is highly reliant on up-to-date road conditions and maintenance emergency response. Over time, these factors built a well-connected network of truckers. Historically, CB radios kept truckers in contact. Imagine yourself as BurtReynolds in?“Smokey and the Bandit”?or Kris Kristofferson in?“Convoy.”
Today, the trucking community has their own social media apps. These apps allow truckers to coordinate stops, communicate traffic, and discuss the specifics of life on the road. On?CDLLife, truckers coordinated a lost hat exchange from Florida to the Pacific Northwest.?
When joining the community, new truckers have thousands of experienced truckers as friends and resources.?
Extended Time-Off
Long-distance truckers work shifts according to the?Department of Transportation’s driving limits.?Meaning, drivers go for the maximum amount of driving hours, usually eight, rest their mandated time of 30 minutes, and then complete the total allowed driving time per day of 14 hours. Often, this adds up to a four-day driving schedule without full nights off. To compensate for long hours, truckers then get a long weekend. For those who want extra days off to travel, take care of children, or anything else, consider this a win on the pros and cons of trucking list!?
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Make Money Quick
The average annual salary for entry-level truckers depends on where you are. In 2021, truck drivers with less than one year of experience averaged?$60,000. Certain trucking?specialties make even more. Trucking specialties include oversized hauling and hazmat shipping which both make up to $90,000 a year.?
Grow Technical Skills
A large factor on the pros and cons of trucking is the job’s technical side. Often, a truck will malfunction on the highway far from an automotive shop. Unless aided by a good samaritan, you get to troubleshoot and fix the problem yourself. Don’t worry, part of the commercial driving license process includes learning about auto maintenance.?
Over years of trucking, you will build up advanced automotive knowledge, and that makes doing maintenance on your own car easier too!
Independence
In the trucking industry, you may work for a company, but on the road you can do what you want. Unlike a desk job, supervisors cannot micromanage you out on the road. This means picking out music you like, operating the vehicle as you see fit, and even deciding driving routes. Drivers can confidently add independence to the pros and cons of trucking list.?
Cons of Trucking
The cons of commercial truck driving overlap with the cons of operating a passenger vehicle. Traffic, dangerous drivers, and spontaneous conditions rank highest on the list of pros and cons of trucking. Consider this list when becoming a truck driver:?
Constantly on the Road
The nature of trucking means constant travel. Regional truckers often drive the same routes, but long-distance truckers can cover routes coast to coast. If you despise constant movement, get harsh motion sickness, or dislike new environments, trucking may not be right for you.
For some, constant travel is ideal. In fact, many of trucking’s cons are positives for certain personalities.?
Strict Physical Requirements
To drive a truck in most states, you must pass a physical exam according to Department of Transportation standards. DOT standards may disqualify drivers for hypertension, respiratory dysfunction, diabetes, vision impairment, epilepsy and mental disorders. However,?these conditions might not disqualify drivers if well-managed.?
Late Hours
To avoid traffic, many truckers drive at night. Though truckers alter their sleep patterns, some people are?genetically predisposed?to favor mornings. Additionally, those who have trouble seeing at night may struggle with late hours. If night highway driving is not for you, consider this is a con of truck driving.?