Life Of A Truck Driver: What An Average Day Looks Like?
It’s day 001, and here we are: what does an average day look like for a truck driver?
Truck driving is a demanding yet rewarding job. With average jobs increasing every year in the USA, the package is rising, and so is the interest of many aspiring truck drivers.
However, analyzing the pros and cons of truck driving is essential while considering it a potential career. Another thing that matters is introspecting if the role is suitable for you.
What does an average day look like? Is it filled with struggles or the most amazing daily experience?
Read Trucker’s, where we will talk about a truck driver’s day-to-day responsibilities, struggles, and perks to give you a good idea and help you form that pending decision.
How Does it Feel To be a Truck Driver?
Now, look at what it’s like to be a truck driver. What does it take to become one, and is it a good choice? Truck driving is challenging, so we will start by checking out the good and not-so-good aspects of being a truck driver.
Pros of Becoming a Truck Driver
- The level of flexibility in truck driving is impressive. You have the autonomy to select the schedule that works best for you. The only essential requirement is ensuring the goods are delivered on time.
- Another good aspect is the lower education requirements. Only a high school diploma or equivalent degree is enough to start your truck driving journey.
- Are you concerned about the monetary aspects? A truck driving job offers a high entry-level salary. This means you can make more than $40,000 a year as a company driver and more than $100,000 a year if you own your truck.
Cons of Becoming a Truck Driver
- The biggest con is staying away from the family and loved ones for long hours. Some truck drivers spend three weeks or more away from home.
- Getting your driver is a costly undertaking. Many truck driving schools have fees ranging from $3,000 to $5,000. Alternatively, certain companies provide free CDL training. However, this often comes with a demand to commit to working for them for a year or longer at a lower pay rate.
- It gets boring if you drive solo. Are you spending eight hours without human interactions? It might get lonely for some.
There are cons, we know. But the pros far outweigh the cons. Look at an average day in the life of a truck driver to understand what we are talking about.
A Typical Day’s Schedule
After considering the pros and cons of truck driving, let us explore the daily life of a truck driver to grasp the balance between work and personal time. To keep the explanation simple, we will follow the imaginary journey of a driver named Ron (not the Harry Potter one) throughout his day:
Morning
Ron’s alarm clock buzzes at 5:00 AM. He gets out of his bunk and heads to the truck stop for a shower (some stops charge $10 to $15). After freshening up, he buys a large coffee cup and returns to his truck. Ron keeps his truck stocked with food and healthy snacks to save money and has a refrigerator and microwave.
Once he finishes his breakfast, Ron checks his phone for dispatch updates. As it’s almost time to begin the journey, Ron conducts a pre-trip inspection of his truck and trailer.
He checks for flat tires, serious leaks, or brake connections. This is crucial to ensure no safety issues could put him or other drivers at risk. He completed the inspection without problems and is now ready to go. He fills up his fuel tank before the journey to avoid unnecessary delays.
Afternoon and Breaks
Considering safety, the Department of Transportation has mandated a half-hour day after, at most, eight hours of driving. Maintaining the driver’s health and avoiding muscle strains is essential.
Later that afternoon, Ron arrives at his destination, transporting the load. After completing the drop-and-hook process, Ron gets a message from dispatch outlining the specifics of his next loadRon’sording to the information, Ron is headed to a port terminal across town to pick up fresh produce.
This time, it’s a live load, meaning Ron must sit in a dock and wait for the lumpers to load his trailer. While his truck is getting crowded, Ron prepares a sandwich for lunch and starts his trip planning by entering the load’s destination into his Matrack GPS tracker, designed for efficient fit management.
The load is bound for a refrigerated warehouse in Indiana, covering 720 miles. Ron notices he only has four hours left on his drive clock before he’s legally required to stop driving for the day.
He quickly calculates that he can drive up to 240 miles within four hours. Being in the Northeast, parking options are limited. To secure a spot, Ron looks for parking at a truck stop 200 miles away. If it’s complete, he has a rest area twenty miles past the truck stop as a backup plan.
When Ron completes his trip planning, the driver’s light at the dock turns green. He heads into the terminal’s shipping office, collects his bills of lading, returns to his truck, and leaves the port terminal.
At night, it is always better to plan on the parking spots. All in all, the schedule for all drivers is similar.
It’s nighttime when Ron arrives at the truck stop and chooses to spend this. As he drives around the truck lot, he is disappointed to see all the parking spaces are taken. However, knowing that trucks move in and out around the clock, Ron returns to the fuel loads and fills up his fuel tanks.
After fueling, he takes another spin through the lot and is relieved to spot an open spot. Ron backs into the space, switches his E-logs from drive status to on-duty, and starts his post-trip inspection. He completed the assessment, reviewed his paperwork, and updated his log status to off-duty. This truck stop boasts an excellent restaurant, and he has his dinner.
After dinner, he returns to his truck, switches his log status to sleeper berth (where truckers typically rest), and unwinds in his bunk as he has some free time. He then sets his alarm to repeat the cycle.
So you see, the day is full of travel, inspections, early planning, and responsible, timely breaks. You get ample facilities to unwind in between your journeys. Keep reading to understand the common problems faced by truck drivers.
Common Problems Faced by Truck Drivers
- Long Hours and Fatigue: Truckers often work extended hours on the road. This leads to tiredness and potential health issues.
- Isolation and Loneliness: Spending long periods away from family and friends makes truckers feel lonely and isolated.
- Traffic and Road Conditions: Heavy traffic, bad weather, and rough roads sometimes make driving challenging and stressful.
- Limited Parking: Drivers may find it difficult to locate safe and available parking spaces for rest breaks or overnight stays, especially in crowded areas. However, they can avoid this by planning ahead of time.
- Health Concerns: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is challenging due to limited access to nutritious food, irregular schedules, and the passive nature of the job.
Is there a Way to Avoid the Problems? – Matrack’s Assistance
Yes, Matrack is the perfect solution to avoid the day-to-day struggles of truck drivers and enjoy truck driving life to the fullest. Matrack doesn’t charge for a co-driver. We help you find the cheapest fuel option, automate the process of IFTA filing, assist with AI-powered dashcams, timely alerts in multiple situations, and whatnot.
Matrack’s ELD solution allows DOT officers to view logs directly from a mobile device and transfer ELD records to FMCSA servers for safety audits. We also offer automatic HOS tracking and electronic DVIRS.
Well, we are not done listing, and indeed, the benefits will get challenging to count. Matrack is a one-stop solution for all your fleet management concerns and helps you manage everything efficiently. Choose Matrack for a worry-free trucking and fleet management career.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, becoming a truck driver means more freedom, good pay, and seeing new places. With America becoming more significant, the need for truck drivers is growing, too. Especially now, after the pandemic, people all over the country need things, and truck drivers play a crucial role in ensuring everyone gets what they need.
An average day in the Matrack’s truck driver is full of pre-trip and post-trip inspections, following safety guidelines correctly, and, most importantly, skilful planning.
Hopefully, we were able to help you solve your doubts and learn about truck driving in depth. Get in touch with Matrack for further assistance and solutions.