Is this the right career?

by Alex
(Knoxville, Tennessee)

Well long story short I'm coming up on my 21st birthday and noticed that to do Truck driving on the interstate (cross country and whatnot) you have to be 21 so I was just looking in to it so to speak.

The only thing I can't seem to find is what the conditions and lifestyle is like...obviously the wages vary depending on the company but I can't find out if the size of the truck you get just depends on how far you're going or if Company Driver's just get the bare minimum to travel 2,000+ miles with whatever load it is.

However this is a pretty good site, still reading over it but it seems interesting...primarily because I work in the Corporate world and I can't stand the fluorescent lights, cubicles, and many other things.

Any tips/advice would be appreciated.

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Jan 14, 2009
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Alex turning 21
by: Jimmy

Hi Alex, Allow me to fill you in. You will have a class 8 truck to drive. A class 8 is the biggest truck for interstate driving. It's a 3 axle,sleeper, with all the conviences like a/c, power steering, beds, stereo, air ride seats, possibly a refridge, t.v. hookup, etc. The differences are manufacturers, but basically they are all alike.

A day cab is truck without sleeper. You would use a day cab for local driving. Some freight companies such as UPS, Yellow Freight will use day cabs for long distance.

The lifestyle will be quite different. You will be living in your truck 24/7. You drive it all day and sleep in it at night. You eat in restaurants or in the truck, showers are sometimes a luxury, (they are available, but time wise can be a problem)

You must realize you will be driving 600 miles a day, 6 days a week, in an 18 wheeler, in strange cities, going to strange warehouses. You may not get home all that often. You will be at the mercy of many folks barking orders at you. You will have to wait sometimes to get re/loaded overnight, in a strange city with really nothing to do to pass the time.

It's something you just have to go for and keep in mind it may not be your cup of tea, and you'll end up back in your cubicle. But if you like adventure, traveling, challenges, not the same old routine every day, give it a try. Visit my page,words of wisdom, and truckers blogs for more info. Jimmy

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