The Truth About Trucker Stereotypes
"Truck drivers are fat."
"Truckers don't shower."
"All truckers do are cause accidents and slow me down."
Are These Trucker Stereotypes True?
With 3.5 million truckers on the road, truckers come from all walks of life. We come from every nationality and every background imaginable. My blog tries to help new truckers that are out on the road. I try to discuss topics that will really help them, but I would also like the blog to break stereotypes of the common trucker on the road. In this post, I would like to debunk some of the negative truck driver stereotypes that are out there by shedding some light on the truth. Our families certainly know how hard we work, getting products and goods to the American public. I think as a trucker myself, I would be remiss if I didn't approach this subject at some point.
Truckers Are A Dedicated Group
Trucking is an extremely important job in the United States. Us truckers know that if we were to decide to take a break (even just for a day) America would stand still. Truck drivers are rolling every single day, and every day the American public has the same certain perception of us. Us truckers live in our trucks. Some of us get home daily and some of us spend months at a time on the road. There is one common thread all of us though, regardless of the type of trucking job. We're a dedicated group of men and women who take safety and delivery of goods very, very seriously. From your trucker who has the awesome long beard, to the trucker who is clean cut and wears a uniform, we are very serious about keeping the American roads safe. Every day, every week, every month and every year.
Start Your Trucking Career Now
Driver Solutions can help you get the CDL training you need to become a truck driver. Start your career now and you could be on the road making up to $50,000 in just the first year! Just take a few moments to complete our online driver application now.
We Love the Freedom of the Open Road
Another thing that truckers have in common is that we like the freedom of the open road. We are not bonded or glued to our shop or office chair. I've done both and so have many other truckers. I'm not unique in my love for traveling and the idea that every day is different when you’re cruising down the highway.
But Most Don’t See Us That Way
One big misconception of truckers is that they don't get to take showers on a regular basis. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, Flying J and Pilot, TA and Petro have truly done a remarkable job at making showers available. I think if the motoring public had a chance to see how well some of these companies have improved the showering experience, this old notion that I can't or don't take showers on a regular basis would vanish. The fueling companies have even sweetened the pot some. Flying J and Pilot have something called "Shower Power.” It’s a program where after you’ve purchased 500 gallons of diesel, you get one free shower daily. 500 gallons is really nothing at all when it comes to filling up our trucks, so that number can be reached fairly quickly. So now we have a daily shower credit waiting for us! This is an incredible improvement from just a decade ago.
Truckers & Safe Driving
More stereotypes that need to be broken are that all truckers tailgate and are in a hurry. With 3.5 million truckers out there, I'm sure we have all seen the truckers and also the 4 wheelers who tailgate. Please understand that every single day, truckers like myself are governed and also have a radar on the front of my truck which basically slows me down and stops me from tailgating. There are millions of trucks out there on the road who are also goverened, forcing us to allow space. As a group, truck drivers are among the safest vehicles on the road.
You may have your opinion on regulating truckers further. Just to let you know, there are even more laws coming to fruition these days; but, numbers don't lie, and year after year us truckers are the safest drivers on the road. You won’t see the statistics in the paper, on television, or hear them on the the radio. But every day, every week, every month and every year, us truckers are safely bringing goods from shippers to receivers with chaos all around us.
I will be touching on other stereotypes about truck drivers throughout the next few months. I can't wait to hear from the newer truck drivers and what struggles they may be having and to offer up more advice.
Ready to Become a Trucker? Get Started Today!
Driver Solutions can help you get the CDL training you need to become a truck driver. Start your career now and you could be on the road making up to $50,000 in just the first year! Just take a few moments to complete our online driver application now.
About The Author
Wayne got his start in trucking by going through the Driver Solutions company paid CDL training program back in 2012. Since then, he has traveled over 300,000 safe miles and counting! After seeing his photos and reading about his adventures, we knew we had to share them on our blog. Join Wayne on his journey for a first hand look at life on the road!