We offer you interesting facts about trucker’s lifestyle
As people are exchanging the hustle and bustle of larger cities for the fresh air and peace offered in more rural areas, the need for transportation is growing. For every store that opens, several deliveries each week are required to keep the shelves nice and stocked, and that freight can’t be delivered on its own. The need for truck drivers is growing as well, so we thought it would be interesting to present an overview of a trucker’s lifestyle.
Truck driving is a way of life. It affects every part of your life, but the changes can be very welcome at times. From meeting new people to seeing new places, driving a truck gives a person a chance to get to know all the nooks and crannies of the U.S.
If you never saw yourself sitting in an office for 8 hours, being surrounded by paperwork, seeing the same people, and doing the same thing every day, a career in truck driving might be an interesting option for you. However, it’s important to stress that the trucker’s lifestyle isn’t easy at all.
Once you decide to get behind that wheel, your whole life is bound to change. Seems scary when blatantly written like this, but a significant change like this could be exactly what you needed.
The first thing that’s required is a commercial driver’s license (CDL). If you are between 18 and 21 years old, you generally are eligible to get this license. However, since every state has different laws in place, it’s important to look into them thoroughly. Usually, if you are 18 years old you are allowed to obtain a CDL which is only valid for in-state freight transportation. In order to drive across state lines, you have to be 21 years old. A truck driver’s day starts early, often at the crack of dawn, however, some drivers prefer to drive at night.
These kinds of things can usually be established and agreed upon with the employer, depending on the company rules and the logistics of certain freight transport. If you do have to drive early in the morning, there is one thing that can almost always be guaranteed – you will have the chance to experience the world before it wakes up. The quiet, early-morning hours and the open, mostly empty roads will ensure that you have a relatively peaceful start to the day.
Hours of Service
Sometimes truck drivers spend up to 70 hours driving over an eight-day period, so the trucks they’re driving are made to be comfortable enough to be considered a driver’s home away from home. There are sleeping quarters, so you won’t have to search for a place to sleep every night, which can be complicated and tedious work because chances are the Inn / Motel you wanted to sleep in can’t accommodate a truck of that size. Modern trucks offer power sources and even outlets for smaller appliances, such as microwaves, mini-fridges, and even slow-cookers. This is especially useful since truck stops rarely offer healthy and nutritious food, so having the option to actually cook something for yourself and store fruit and veggies in a fridge will definitely help you stay healthier on the road.
What about Rakmark?
Truck drivers work long hours, so it’s only fair that they are appropriately compensated for their work. It’s also worth mentioning that some companies pay by the hour, while other pay by the mile.
For example, here at Rakmark, we pay our company drivers up to 65c/mile, while team drivers are paid up to 70c/mile. Along with this, we offer bonuses depending on your experience level, cash advance, and a fuel card. But for more info, check out our careers page. To help the hours pass, drivers can have a partner on the road. Some companies support team driving, which means that you would have a colleague of yours on the road with you and the option to switch places so that you aren’t the only one driving during the trip. In this case, you would split the profit from that trip.
Sometimes people take their spouses on the road, and even their pets (all this should be done in accordance with the company’s rules and regulations).