So, you’ve chosen to become a trucker and are excited at the prospect of hauling freight across the country. Excellent! You’ll certainly see many different places and people along your travels. The trucker lifestyle is certainly different from regular life, and for some, adapting to it can be the most difficult part of the job. What are some aspects of an OTR (over-the-road) trucker’s lifestyle and how can you acclimatize yourself to its demands? From Reliable Permit Solutions, here are a few facts that can help you adjust to your nomadic job.
1. Learning to live in your truck
As a truck driver, you’re going to be driving long hours, and its important to take breaks every once in a while to help you keep going. Living out of your truck means getting used to a very enclosed space, but it also means you’ll have everything you’ll need at arm’s length. The nicest part of this is if you can stand to live solely out of your truck, you won’t have to spend your hard-earned money on motels and other living arrangements.
2. Getting used to the solitude
Trucking can be a very lonely job. As an OTR driver, you’ll watch long stretches of road go by without interacting with people in any meaningful way. While you should certainly keep in contact with loved ones as often as you can, OTR drivers can be out working for weeks at a time. The longer you stay out, the more money you can make.
3. Patience
As a trucker, you’ll spend a lot of time waiting: waiting for unloads, waiting for loads, waiting for paperwork, waiting for traffic, and more. The last thing you want to do is get high blood pressure problems because of impatience. Learning to adapt to your situation and keeping a cool head will get you far.
4. Ever-changing conditions
One minute it could be sunny and clear, the next rain is pouring from the sky. Your truck could break down, throwing you off schedule. Accidents could happen on the highway or while backing up. Trucking can be a dangerous occupation. Rolling with the punches and taking things a problem at a time is a very helpful skill in trucking.Hopefully this glimpse of the trucker lifestyle can help you decide to become one and keep you on the road! If you need help obtaining permits for overweight loads, temporary fuel permits, and more, contact Reliable Permit Solutions today. We’d love to help right away.