As an instructor you often will stand in the front of the room and ask students if they have any questions only to be told, “No, everything is good.” Later on a coffee break all kinds of questions will come from the students. The same thing happens on the other side of the equation where students will come to class and think they have the course nailed down because they know someone in the industry and asked them all types of questions about being a truck driver. As the course goes on you learn that much of the information they were told is either outdated, wrong, or of an opinion that is not based on reality. Not sure what I mean read the article about women drivers where someone was told women needed bigger wrists to drive a truck. What!!
We find this with students who have had family members that have driven trucks and the children are now taking the course to drive. The children have heard the stories and maybe even experienced the road. They think they know what it takes to be a truck driver and may be right in some areas but things have changed in trucking certainly in the ways of technology and regulations. We have even seen students think they know how to shift a truck based on playing computer games on driving a truck. They quickly found out they were not the same.
So who should you ask for help? I am all for investigating the industry before you enter it, but there are a couple things to caution you about. The sources of the information have to be trusted sources and constructive. You will hear negative about the industry, everyone has had a different experience based on where they have worked in the past but for the most part the information should be helpful to you in making a decision about the industry. Make sure you ask more than one person about their experience and ensure those people have enough time in the industry to have the knowledge of what the industry can really offer.
I had a person early on in my career tell me I shouldn’t get into the industry. They had tried it for two years and didn’t make any money at it. Thankfully I didn’t listen to that person as I have had a great career in the industry and been in it for over forty years.
Asking for advice on the industry is much like reading reviews on the latest electronic appliance. There will be good and bad reviews and you have to weigh the two sides equally. Listen to industry podcasts and blogs to get a take on the industry from different people. Look for quality information from people that look like they are happy in their careers. Lastly, look for people with a variety of time in the industry. A person with two years of experience may not have enough knowledge to say whether the industry will be good for them. Asking someone who has been in the industry for twenty five years may have become complacent and grumpy. A driver with ten years of experience may be in the middle of their career and loving their job. Get the right information and weigh it against what the ads tell you and you will have a good picture of what the industry can do for you.
If you are looking to talk to training schools about what is involved in training then start with the Accredited Schools of TTSAO. If you want to talk with carriers then starting with the TTSAO Carrier Group is a good place to start as they all work with new people. If you want to talk with your friends, then you know who they are. Good luck and like I say, “Be careful who you ask for advice from.”
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a veteran in the transportation industry with over 40 years in the industry in a variety of roles from driver to fleet supervisor and more. Today he is a media specialist in the industry producing a number of programs for the trucking industry such as his trucking podcast The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers at www.theleadpedalpodcast.com or his radio station Lead Pedal Radio at www.leadpedalradio.com
Disclaimer: This article is written and based on the opinion of the author and is for general information only