Trucking is a vital part of our economy, and drivers are the key factor that keeps the industry running smoothly. Everything has to get shipped, whether by air, by road, or by water, no matter if it’s across town or across the country. This makes truck drivers an asset the economy can’t live without.
Driving a truck is both a career and a lifestyle. It offers great pay, tremendous freedom, and a chance to become part of a loyal community of like-minded people. Have you ever considered a career in trucking?
Let’s take a look at a few of the top reasons you might decide to become a truck driver.
7 Reasons Why Trucking is the Best Career on Earth
Every job has its upsides and downsides, but truck driving is a wonderful occupation that gives you a lot of freedom and financial security. Here are 7 reasons to become a truck driver.
1. Travel
For many people, the idea of spending day after day seated behind a desk sounds like a nightmare. One of the most enticing things about being a truck driver is the opportunity it provides for travel.
Professional truck drivers get to spend their time seeing the most beautiful parts of the country. Being behind the wheel of a big rig takes you to places you would never otherwise get to see.
Our nation’s highway are incredibly scenic, with amazing national parks, fabulous cities, and stunning landscapes. You never get bored because each day presents a new adventure.
2. Income Potential
Driving a truck is a career with great earning potential without needing a college degree. And because of the fact that you can start as young as 18 years of age, this provides decades of tremendous income.
There is even more potential if you own your own truck. An owner/operator can average more than $140,000 per year. How many other careers offer that much money without an education?
Driving is steady work, and the more time you spend behind the wheel, putting miles behind you and gaining experience, the more your income will grow year after year.
3. Job Security
There has always been a huge need for truck drivers. And that’s truer today than ever before. In fact, there is currently a shortage of truck drivers across the nation. The ATA expects this shortage to continue to grow over the next decade.
At a time when the news reports layoffs in almost every industry, no other industry offers the kind of job security and peace of mind that trucking can.
The more experienced you become operating a big rig, the more valuable you will be to the industry. It takes money to train new drivers, and companies don’t want to lose drivers who they can count on to get the job done.
4. Benefits
A good paycheck is only the beginning. Many trucking companies entice new drivers by offering a wide variety of great benefits. This can include paid vacations, a 401K, health, life, and dental insurance, as well as competitive bonus opportunities.
We live in a time when benefits are a crucial part of life. Having good insurance coverage for you and your family provides peace of mind. And having the opportunity to prepare for retirement is a major incentive that not every career or every industry is able to provide.
When deciding which trucking company to drive for, we highly recommend taking a long look at the benefits package offered by each, and then pick the one you believe is most committed to taking care of you.
5. Freedom
A career in truck driving offers a level of freedom unmatched in any other field. While many people might enjoy the boredom of routine, such as crawling through travel on the way to work, dealing with office politics, long tedious meetings, endless emails, and reporting to a demanding boss, this isn’t true for everyone.
Driving gives you the freedom to have a flexible schedule, meet new people every day, be your own boss, and have a variety of new experiences.
6. The Open Road
There is something majestic and inspiring about the open road. It’s a lifestyle that sets you free from the claustrophobic atmosphere of an office where you are chained to a desk.
With the highway stretching out before you, there is no one breathing down your neck, and you aren’t boxed in by the same four walls, day in and day out.
The horizon represents true freedom, with fresh air and the sun on your face. Each day is a new adventure, which also happens to be an adventure that offers tremendous income for you and your family.
The open road is a huge factor for many who choose this path as a career. For this type of individual, life is too short to spend it pushing papers or staring at a computer screen. The work week seems so much longer when spent counting the hours until it’s time to punch out and endure the same tedious commute home at the end of each day.
7. Community
Truck drivers are a special breed of people. These are individuals drawn to a particular lifestyle, and they understand each other in a special way that others simply can’t.
Truckers are much like a military unit, looking out for each other and offering support. They are independent spirits, some of the hardest working people in the world. and they take tremendous pride in what they do.
The Decision to Become a Truck Driver
Most people who decide to become a truck driver aren’t in it exclusively for the money. Sure, the money is enticing, but it takes a special type of person to stay out on the road for an extended period of time.
This is a career that calls to those who value freedom over all else. There is a rhythm to the sound of the road beneath the wheels that speaks to the soul. Truck driving is truly a special career for special people.
Click here to see some solid stats about driving a truck for a living.
