Trucking is definitely unlike most any other occupation out there. Just about every truck driver we see out there nowadays came from a different line of work.
I worked as a truck mechanic for many years and already had my commercial driver’s license—along with some driving experience—before I decided to inquire about a regional driving job advertised in my local newspaper. I had always been a “road tripper” since my teenage years and to this day I really love to drive—especially when I can enjoy my music as the miles pass under those wheels.
After almost 25 years and close to 3 million miles I still enjoy it as much as I did when I started out. There’s something about waking up in a different location every morning and interacting with the people in those areas. Then taking in a beautiful sunrise on the east coast—or watching an evening sunset somewhere along the Pacific coastline as I have done many times.
In between all of that I have taken in a lot of scenery and been able to manage my time so I’m very productive while rarely feeling rushed. In other words—I see this job as more like a vacation anymore. I’m able to take photos and videos by using a Garmin Dash Cam 65W which works by spoken voice commands while I’m driving. Then I post them on my social media pages when I’m parked for the day.
It took many years for me to learn how to improvise in certain areas of life and to this day I still look for new ideas—especially when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle out here.
Whenever I don’t have a trainee driver with me I carry my Trek bicycle on the top bunk and ride it often—not only for cardiovascular exercise but to help take the feeling of freedom I enjoy out here to another level. I also carry a weight bench and related exercise gear for strength training.
One big thing that makes this demanding job more bearable for me is to take ownership of every day as it begins and not allow it to be consumed in any way by toxic people. Be for real yet be proactive when it comes to facing challenges. And always make safety the biggest priority so we return to the loved ones waiting for us at home.
