If the USA was a human body, think of long-haul trucks as the veins that tie everything together, delivering life-sustaining nutrients to every part of that body. To say we couldn’t live without long-haul transportation as we know it today would be a very true statement. Sure, there are many other types of transportation, but none could even come as close as modern long-haul trucks. There really is no other practical or more efficient way to get things from one place to another.
But for all of that effort, those trucks still need someone to drive them to their destinations. This is where long-haul truckers come in. Truckers have the nearly immeasurable task of not only getting items from A to B, they also have to get them there in a timely manner. The average trucker drives close to 125,000 miles per year. It’s a long and often thankless job. Truckers navigate all over the country, and believe me, they know a thing or two about getting around. They also know more than a few things about regular drivers, like what they get up to when they think no one’s watching, or even when they are certain someone’s watching them. Check out what you think you know, and what you might really want to know about long-haul truckers.
20 Get Over Already: It’s Not Easy For One Truck To Pass Another
Everyone’s heard of or seen of “impatient drivers”. You know, the ones who’ve managed to somehow sleep past their alarm going off or forgot about that early-morning meeting at the office they should’ve been at nearly 20 minutes ago that are just now starting their thirty-minute journey. That’s when it happens – two big semis’ taking up all available lanes of the highway.
The impatient driver starts horn-blowing and screaming from his/her window, waving at the trucks in despair.
The reality is that big trucks take time to pass one another depending on the weight, length of the truck, wind conditions, etc. If both are driving towards an incline, it can take even longer. It’s not done on purpose, that’s just the way physics works.
19 What It Takes To Be A Trucker
One just doesn’t hop into a large transport truck, start the engine and be on their way. At the minimum, you have to be 21 to drive a semi-truck. You have to be able to pass a medical exam from an authorized and approved certified physician. Except for rare cases, you cannot be a diabetic who uses needle-injected insulin. Naturally, you need to pass and receive a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and any required additional certifications you may need, depending on what you are transporting. At one time all of these requirements were largely unregulated but are now pretty much standard for all commercial truckers.
18 A Trucker’s Work Schedule
A typical workday/week for a long-haul trucker can vary greatly depending on what’s being hauled around, and the priority of the business needing the delivery. Except for military-led operations, most truckers perform a shift starting early in the morning. OTR (Over-The-Road) drivers normally set their own hours to get to their destinations on time.
All long-haul drivers typically complete a 70-hour work shift stretched out over 8 days.
Truckers are not allowed to drive more than 11 hours a day, and after the weekly shift, they cannot drive for at least another 34 hours of rest, according to jobs.net.
17 Golden Star: Truckers Get Report Cards
Have you ever seen one of those “How’s My Driving?” stickers on a semi truck’s bumper? Don’t worry, because lots of other people have, and believe me when I say people use it. A LOT. Sure, truck drivers get graded on their performance not just from their customers and company, but mostly from the general public. These days, with satellite tracking and accurate GPS locations, as well as “black-box” info, the truck driver’s ability is evaluated for all types of safe and not-so-safe events. But the people that call in can also be evaluated, thanks to truck-mounted cameras and recording equipment.
16 Park It Here: Not As Easy As It Seems
It takes a LOT of skill to park a big long-haul truck. I’ve seen videos of traumatized truck drivers attempting to back into a customers’ warehouse, trying to navigate through busy parking lots, etc. While most succeed without any problems, there are those who’ve gone into complete and utter meltdown-mode, too frustrated to get it right. Some drivers simply walk away, leaving entire roads jammed.
It takes a certain mindset to be a long-haul truck driver.
It takes a ton of training and confidence to tackle handling a big truck. Having patience and maturity really helps when you are a truck driver.
15 Danger Will Truck Driver: Cars Are Far More Dangerous
A disproportionate amount of car drivers can be best described as ignorant. I say this because I have personally seen car drivers deliberately try to cut off trucks because they were in a hurry or seemed to be experiencing some sort of road rage attack. I’m certain you’ve seen it too. “Ignorant” is the perfect word simply because there are so many people out there that can’t use basic math. Example: 130-feet of loaded-down truck getting ready to pull out in the passing lane vs ANYTHING on wheels thinking they are going to pull out and force the big truck out of the way. Who do you think is going to win?
14 Say Again? Trucker Lingo
If you’ve never seen the classic movie “Smokey and The Bandit” or the old TV show “BJ and The Bear”, I suggest you try to.
It’ll help to explain the mysterious language that truckers sometimes use, especially when they’re on the CB radio.
Heres some prime examples, via the Thrillist website: Paying the water bill – Pulling over to relieve themselves. Evil Knievel – Motorcycle cop. Gators – Those cheap and shredded pieces of tire you see on the sides of nearly every highway. Having shutter trouble – Someone is having a hard time staying awake. Bear den – Police station Semipro – Some yahoo driving a large pickup or equivalent that thinks they are a real truck driver.
13 That’s A Wrap: Trucker Diets
A trucker’s life can sometimes boil down to what they eat. A lot of OTR truckers meals are dictated by where they stop for a break. Everyone has seen a Waffle House restaurant or equivalent at any major truck stop. Who wouldn’t want to eat breakfast at 3:30 in the morning? Greasy eggs and waffles can really hit the spot sometimes. These days truckers are getting a little smarter by augmenting their diet with proper foods. Although you might see the truck parked at a truck stop, a lot of them these days will simple call for a Lyft and head to a grocery store to shop for healthier alternatives.
12 Take 1, Action: It’s Not Like TV
TV and cinematic movies can’t be beaten for entertainment, but of course, it’s fantasy. You’ll rarely see a truck driver trying to stay steady enough for characters to pull off all the tricks from the “Matrix” movies. Do you really think you can handle a rig like Bruce Willis did in “Live Free or Die Hard”? Or how about ANY “Transformer” movie? Could you imagine being in such a hurry that you find yourself acting like Mel Gibson driving that tanker from the “Road Warrior”? If you can, I know quite a few truck companies that would love to hire you on the spot.
11 Truckers And Hitchhikers
Unlike totally insane movies such as “The Hitcher”, a trucker probably won’t be stopping to pick you up anytime soon, unless there’s some sort of emergency. These days picking up hitchhikers is absolutely forbidden. This is especially true for company-owned vehicles.
Truckers say they actually wouldn’t mind the company, but there are just too many dangerous people out there these days.
Plus, how would a trucker explain losing not only his truck, but this entire shipment to a hitchhiker, because he/she decided to pick up someone and give them a ride to wherever because they were lonely and wanted someone to talk to?
10 Trucker Employment
I talked to a few truckers who tell me they prefer to own their own trucks when they have the opportunity to purchase one. They get more money that way because they don’t have to share so much profit vs driving a company-owned vehicle. Self-owned operators also have much more flexibility in what they haul and where they haul items. A lot of longtime drivers try to choose a route that will take them closest to their home upon completion of their workweek. Some might choose to keep going and end up in a certain town or city they’ve always wanted to visit.
9 Chilling Out: Where Truckers Relax
Truckers relax the same way most people do, except their activities might normally limit the fun to wherever they decide to park. It mostly depends on their routes. I’ve seen some truck stops with all sorts of things to do, like play mini-golf or even go-cart racing. Some truckers mentioned on the yesandyes.com site that if they are heading west, they like to stop in places like Vegas or take a tour of the Grand Canyon. Some of the truckers who have luxury cabs already have all the amenities such as Satellite TV, internet access, etc., so they mostly hang out and talk to relatives, play with their X-Box’s or whatever. When they feel like taking off, they will just call for an Uber or Lyft and head into town for a good time.
8 Breaker, Breaker: CB Radios
CB Radios have been around even longer that long-haul trucks. They are the bastion of truck drivers everywhere. CB (Citizens Band) radio is a low-frequency form of communication that’s perfect for companies like trucking fleets because the bands are on little-used channels, meaning little to no interference from other frequencies and most importantly, millions of other people.
It’s rarely monitored and it’s a perfect space to let truckers communicate with each other in a more casual and freestyle way.
They can let each other know about weather and traffic conditions, police traps, etc. Some regular car drivers also use CB’s since the channels are open to anyone.
7 What Truckers Earn
Truckers can make some serious bank these days. Jobs.com mentions that because of the shortage for truckers, that the bigger companies are pushing past the normal initial salary of $35,000 for 1st year truckers to something more like $45,000, including sign-on bonuses and other offers. If you have tons of experience, expect to make something past the $100,000 range, with incentives and bonuses. Of course, a good chunk of that could be going for maintenance and expenses if you own your rig, but it’s certainly nothing to sniff at. It sounds like great money as long as you love your job.
6 Truckers Can See Everything Drivers Do
From their vantage point, you would think that a trucker sees everything that goes on in other passing vehicles. You’d be absolutely correct. Truckers have seen it all, from couples dangerously cavorting to pet ostriches being transported in the front seat of vehicles. The ones applying make-up while driving are probably the most dangerous according to a lot of truckers. Over at the Thrillist website, one trucker recounts the time one of his students witnessed a man beating his wife in a car. The student goes up to the car, beats the other guys’ butt, and handcuffs him to the mirror of his own car.
5 How Truckers Are Replaced
The ATA (American Truckdrivers Association has some wild facts about long-hauls truckers on their website. They say that currently there is a staggering 88% TURNOVER RATE for drivers at large fleet companies. Is that crazy or what? At the moment there is a massive shortage of drivers, because once they receive their certification, they still have to do even more training before any company would risk turning a post-student loose on fleet trucks. That takes time.
We’ve all seen those truck school ads all over the internet.
It seems like a great deal but if it’s so great, then why is there such a turnover? Potential students should definitely look before you take the plunge.
4 Cool Lights: Why Truckers Decorate The Trucks
Truckers decorate their trucks as much as anyone else might decorate their car. It’s a sign of individuality, pride and most importantly, independence. Truckers are proud to let others know that they’ve done their time, paid their dues and are now not just contractors, but owner/operators. Regular people like me love to see tricked-out rigs as much as other truckers do. I especially love to see them around the holiday season because so many drivers go all-out with decorations and LED lighting. Plus, you’ll always find your rig in a crowded parking lot after a long day.
3 What’s Really In That Cab
Career truckers who own their own rigs really know how to trick out their cab. Over at the Vice website, you’ll see some big-rigs with nearly anything from pet quarters to double bunk beds, refrigerators, and stoves. Some truckers go the full luxury route like the ones at core77.com. Some of those trucks have full bathrooms, carpeting, living areas, sleeper couches and more. More than a few had chandeliers installed. Once you own your own rig, the sky’s the limit. If you live most of your life away from home, why not make your rig the perfect home away from home?
2 Like A Mailman: Where A Trucker Will Travel
There are very few places on the planet a trucker can’t get to. It mostly relies on weather conditions and what the trucker is hauling. From the craziest bridges in the jungle to the frozen wastelands near the Arctic poles, once a trucker accepts an assignment, they try their best to keep their word and bring the goods on home.
It’s more a matter of honour and trust than anything else.
Once a trucker builds up a great reputation, they’ll want to keep it. The perks to this are preferred routes, special customer requests, more lucrative contracts and so much more. A trucker’s word carries a lot of weight.
1 Been There, Done That
Being on the road so much, truckers have seen some crazy stuff. There's the one on lifesatrucker.com about a trucker getting to his hotel room and turning on the lights just so fine that there were so many roaches they were even coming out of the TV. Or even more bizarre is the story on brobible.com about the truckers who saw a court-jester standing off the road in the middle of the night, looking for a ride I guess. Not that anyone stopped for him, except to look. It was reported he was doing cartwheels and flips and other strange things.
Sources: todaystrucker.com, thrilllist.com, overdriveonline.com