Finding a career is a curious thing. Many people as they grow up do so with stars in their eyes. It’s not unusual for people to dream of getting into trucking, being a police officer, or firefighter or nurse or truck driver as children. Some people adjust those dreams as they grow and learn the realities of the profession, but others remain steadfast. Later, as they have achieved their goal or getting into trucking or law enforcement or firefighting, they see the reality of the field they have entered, and regret their choice.
That’s why it’s important for someone entering the trucking field to find out the full range of realities for the profession they are choosing. Trucking is much more than getting into a big rig and cruising the highway for a few hours. It’s a full-fledged career, full of positives and negatives, requiring skills and knowledge and certain other qualities.
There’s an old saying: if it was easy, everyone would do it. So too with careers. A good trucking career isn’t easy. It’s challenging enough that most people can’t do it, so that those who can are free to do it well. This is true in trucking, law, medicine and most other professions. So finding the career you want in trucking is unlikely statistically, but if that’s what you are interested in, you should certainly give trucking a shot.
It’s important to know before you start trucking training that there are certain qualities that lend themselves to the pursuit of a trucking career. These qualities help those in the trucking industry deal with the various challenges of their profession, and give them the opportunity to thrive in their trucking career.
Trucking is a unique career for most. There are plenty of trucking employment opportunities for people in the trucking industry who have the strength, stamina, and will to work in it. If you have the drive, the trucking industry can offer you a trucking career worthy of the experiences you are building.
But trucking is not an industry for everyone. Some people don’t possess the right inherent skills to really find happiness in the trucking industry. Of course, that’s okay: there is a career for everyone out there, whether it’s trucking, electrician or carpentry, or some other profession entirely. It’s vital to pick a career that suits you; if trucking isn’t the right career, and you force yourself into it, you will most likely lack the fulfillment and satisfaction in your career, even if you perform your job competently. And if you don’t have the right skills, well, you will have an unhappy career because you won’t have an adequate job performance.
So how do you know if trucking is for you? Well, the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a list of important qualities for people in the trucking industry. These skills offer a glimpse into the inherent skills of someone expecting a successful stint in the trucking industry.
Hand-eye coordination: Obviously this is important for operating the trucking vehicle safely. One must be able to move their hands, legs, eyes, arms and feet in concert in order to make the truck go, and prevent it from slamming into other objects. This is a basic part of trucking.
Hearing ability: Again this may go without saying, but the trucking industry requires you to have adequate hearing (either with or without a hearing aid).
Physical health: Another federal mandate for the trucking industry. If you are afflicted with one of several medical conditions, you are disqualified from trucking service. This is a safety issue as much as anything, since, for example, having an epileptic seizure behind the wheel of a 26,000-plus lb. vehicle travelling at highway speeds is extremely hazardous.
Visual ability: 20/40 vision in each eye, and the ability to distinguish the colors on a traffic light, are two more federal trucking regulations.
Of course, there are other skills that are important for someone in trucking; there are certain people skills, technical skills, and others that can be helpful, but these are the essentials. If you have all of these skills, and a desire to begin a career in trucking, then you may be looking to enter the trucking industry at the right time.