Being a truck driver is a career decision that brings a wide range of different benefits that cannot be ignored. In addition to the fact that there is a low barrier to entry in that, there is no degree required, truck drivers usually have a tremendous amount of job security. The transportation industry and truck drivers, in particular, are the essential backbone of the United States economy, after all.
Becoming a truck driver offers tremendous opportunities for career advancement, gives people access to a highly competitive salary, and, of course, gives them a chance to travel in ways that they might not otherwise have access to. It’s no wonder it’s become so appealing to so many.
But there are several common pitfalls that brand-new truck drivers in particular tend to make in their first days and weeks on the job. Understanding what they are is the key to avoiding them in your own situation moving forward.
Rookie Truck Drivers Tend to Speed
In a lot of ways, new truck drivers tend to be a lot like their rookie contemporaries in that they have a “heavier foot” than most. Especially when you’re on the job, you always need to follow the speed limit. Be mindful of traffic laws and remember that you’re not just a driver anymore – you’re also performing an important service and are representing a business, too.
Newbies Often Ignore Safety
People who have never been truck drivers before are often surprised by the enormous checklist of things you need to do before you can even think about starting the engine, let alone driving. But it’s all critical and those safety checks should not be neglected. They could save your life or the life of someone else on the road one day.
New Truck Drivers are Often Overconfident
Overconfidence can come in many forms. Sometimes, a new truck driver simply thinks they’re able to work for longer periods than they actually can. Other times, they think that safety rules don’t apply to them because “skill” will always win out in the end. No matter what, you need to be mindful of your own limitations and act accordingly.
Physical & Mental Health Are Often Neglected
Being a truck driver is a sedentary lifestyle, and you need to be mindful of that moving forward. If you’re going to be sitting for at least eight hours a day you can’t just eat whatever you want. Likewise, you need to use every opportunity you have to get up and go for a walk at truck stops. Neglecting your mental health is also a bad idea. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night and seek professional help should you feel that you need it.
New Truck Drivers Tend to Neglect Relationship Building
As is true with any other industry, success in terms of being a truck driver comes down to your ability to build a relationship. Yes, it’s true that truck drivers spend a lot of time by themselves. But when you drop off a load you’ll still be interacting with people. People who might be able to help you out one day or otherwise advance your career. It would be a shame to waste that type of opportunity just because you don’t see the point of relationship building in the present day.
Many Rookie Drivers Think They Know Everything
Many rookie truck drivers think that “being a good driver” and “being a good truck driver” are interchangeable. In reality, you don’t know everything – and that’s a positive thing. Always take advantage of opportunities to learn new things and continue to develop yourself. It’s what will always keep the job as fresh and as interesting as possible.
Think about it like this. In a traditional job, the moment you feel like you’ve “learned enough” or are “as good as you can be” is the moment you start to plateau. You’d get bored with that job pretty quickly. Why would you then want to add something as physically and mentally demanding as truck driving on top of that?
Most New Drivers Have Unrealistic Expectations
Not every moment behind the wheel of a truck is going to be stellar. You will experience traffic delays, even if you didn’t today. You will hit a construction zone, even if you didn’t today. Unfortunate circumstances happen all the time and if you don’t start mentally preparing for them now, you’ll have a hard time dealing with them down the road (no pun intended).
Many Rookies Lack Organization Skills
Many rookie truck drivers make the mistake of assuming that since the cab of a truck is small, it isn’t really possible to be too terribly disorganized. However, when you consider the receipts that you have to manage and items that need to be both scanned and organized, it’s easy for your lack of organizational skills to fail you fairly quickly.
Newbies Often Avoid Asking for Help
Just because you’re a new truck driver who is on the road by yourself doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own. When you pull into a truck stop, for example, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals. On the road, you can use your radio to communicate with just about anyone. If you need help, ask for help – it truly is as simple as that.
Lots of Rookie Truck Drivers Switch Jobs Too Early
Finally, one of the biggest mistakes that rookie truck drivers seem to make involves switching companies too early in their careers.
There are a lot of trucking companies out there and each has something unique to offer. But at the same time, you need to focus on the development of your own personal skills to make yourself as attractive as possible in the marketplace. As a general rule, most professional truck drivers say that you shouldn’t switch to a new company within the first year after you’ve been on the road. Trucking is all about long-term commitment, and you may be doing more harm than good if you can’t show potential future employers that you’re willing to stick to it and won’t leave them at the drop of a proverbial hat.
If you’d like to find out even more information about the types of rookie truck driver mistakes that your organization would do well to avoid at all costs, or if you just have any additional questions that you’d like to speak to someone about in a bit more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Advanced Commercial Capital today .