I love being a truck driver, and certainly plan on doing this for a while. I’ve also found that as my experience grows, my enjoyment also continues to grow. I’m still considered a rookie with only 8 months experience, but the little experience I have is already paying off.

Last week was National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. It certainly was nice to feel appreciated for a week. The list of sacrifices that drivers make can go on and on for days. Most of the sacrifices can’t be explained in words, they simply have to be experienced to truly be understood.

Sometimes you’re put in a position as a driver where you just can’t win. One day I was leaving the shipper with a heavy load and was pulled over to see if my weight was legal. Problem was, I never got a chance to weight it myself - they nailed me on the way to the scale. What is a driver supposed to do?

Sometimes you have these days and nights of skill testing if you drive a semi. I did not have a leisurely drive to Fort Smith as I normally do. I couldn’t just relax, enjoy the drive, and drink my coffee. This was not meant to be. I had to work to stay safe and keep others safe too on this trip.

I am writing this for anyone who, like I was, is wondering what it may be like to ride a Greyhound Bus to Truck Driving School. My first piece of advice would be to try to spend that last time that you have together relaxing and enjoying it.

Recently I heard a story of a truck driving student who was on the road with a trainer and discovered that the trainer was smoking pot in the truck while the student was driving. How did the student handle this? Did it backfire on him? There are some things that everyone needs to understand about the realities of life in the trucking industry.

Sometimes trips go very smoothly, and other times trips are incredibly challenging, like the one I just had. This is the reality of truck driving. Are you up for the challenge?

This sad day happens all the time to many in their jobs. Yesterday I was given the news that my friend Kevin of 38 years may not make it thru the night. After this news I was called to work. I just knew I would be called to work! Every time something goes wrong for me, it seems that is when I am needed at work or somewhere else.

“I wrote a recent post called “Truck Driving: An Office With A View” and that post had a lot of descriptions of the beauty this country holds. But out here on the road, our office doesn’t always have such a great view.

One thing that I wasn’t quite prepared for when I decided to become a truck driver is the sleeping patterns. I knew fatigue was a big issue in truck driving, but now I truly understand why. The long driving hours are only part of the issue…it’s rather complicated.

When I first started researching becoming a truck driver, I knew I’d be spending a lot of time alone. Believe it or not, this was actually something I was looking forward to. It’s not that I dislike people or anything like that, I’ve just always been the type that doesn’t mind being alone. It’s almost therapeutic. However, this isn’t the case for everyone, and I’m here to tell you what it’s like being a solo truck driver, all alone.

I was driving through Oklahoma and Kansas today, which are two states that get a real bad wrap. Most people think it’s boring. There’s nothing around, nothing to do, and it’s too flat. But, I’ve decided that I love these states! Sometimes, the beauty of a certain region doesn’t stand out like a giant body of water or snow capped mountains. Sometimes, you need to look around to notice the sheer beauty.

My first solo run as a truck driver has been completed, and boy do I have a story to tell. This trip was eventful, but was also successful in the end. Despite a few embarrassing details, I’m going to share it all. I can handle the razzing, and probably deserve it for a couple of things I did.

Everyone has their own version of what a truck driver looks and acts like (and sometimes what they might smell like). I’m even guilty of having an image of what a truck driver is. Although, once I became a driver, that all changed.

After months of research, one month of CDL truck driving school, and 4 months of company training, I’m now going out on the open road as a solo company driver. Wow, sometimes I think back and it’s taken forever to get here, while other times I think back and it’s gone by in an instant.