Everyone's heard of people getting "the rookie treatment" when they are brand new at something. Truck drivers are no exception. Success as a truck driver depends mainly on the drivers attitude, and how they approach the trucking lifestyle. If you approach everything as a problem and get frustrated, you're going to have a frustrating time. The same applies if you just "roll with it", instead. 

 

Every year thousands of people  sabotage  their truck driving career before it ever gets off the ground. They come into the trucking industry with bad information, the wrong attitude, and the wrong approach. They're doomed to failure before they even know how many wheels are on an 18 wheeler.

 

Then to make matters worse, they turn around and sabotage the careers of the next wave of new drivers by spewing the same awful rhetoric they mistakenly believed themselves. 

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With the average age of today's drivers hovering around 50, it's harder to tell the rookies from the experienced drivers, but, just as in any aspect of life, you will find many people who are more than willing to help, and many who aren't.

If you are unsure, never be afraid to ask for advice. Again, you will have much more success in the end as a new driver if your approach is humble & inquisitive, rather than if it is boisterous & over-confident.

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Trucking Is All About Liability and Risk

First of all, please understand something. In our society, as you well know, you can pretty much get sued for everything Can you imagine trying to own a trucking company? These larger carriers have teams of lawyers that stay in court every day of the week fighting battles. Everyone is out to get 'em. So companies are looking for people they are hoping will be trustworthy enough to make smart decisions out there on the road and keep everyone safe from harm. If you have a bad criminal or driving record, including felonies, theft-related misdemeanors, DUIs, and reckless driving tickets for speed in excess of 15 mph over the speed limit, it is quite likely you will have one hell of a time finding work.

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You've completed your training and you get hired by your first trucking company. Man, that company is taking a massive risk. You're not a good driver, and won't be for a couple of years at least, if ever. You've proven nothing to no one, other than the fact that you can memorize some test questions and a few backing maneuvers to pass a simple CDL test. That, and your background check is all you have to offer. Soon enough you'll have some experience under your belt and you're going to look back and realize that it's a miracle that any rookie gets through the first year safely.

 

Life on the road is extremely difficult. Handling a rig safely takes a long time to learn. Traffic, weather, solitude, not enough sleep, and time away from home take their toll and wear you down sometimes. And at the same time your company is going to push you to figure out just what you're made of. They'll give you two or three lousy runs in a row, try to assign you loads they know you can't legally make, get you home later than you were supposed to be, and all kinds of other little tests and trials to see if you're going to stick it out or jump ship at the first sign of trouble. Customers will make you sit in the parking lot for hours, and you won't know what to do. You'll have a delivery in downtown Chicago at 9:00 am in January, and the traffic and weather is going to jump up and bite you. Then after weeks on the road you're going to finally get home, only to find out that life has gone on just fine without you, and although everyone is glad to see you, you kind of get set aside because you're no longer in the flow of people's everyday lives, and it's gonna hurt a little bit.

Your ability to handle life on the road and its ever-changing circumstances, and your willingness to stick things out rather than quit when they get tough will be the main factor in your success as a truck driver. Anybody can be taught to drive a truck, and the rest is up to you.