Being a truck driver is a unique and challenging career; a job choice that isn’t for everyone, but those that choose truck driving as a career love what they do. What exactly is the allure of truck driving for truckers and why would anyone choose it as a career?
Trucking matters
One positive outcome of the recent pandemic is that it shone a spotlight on exactly how important truck drivers our to our country. Sure, people understood that truckers move items from point A to point B, but recent events have drastically changed the public’s awareness of how essential trucker drivers are to the economy of our nation. Of course, truck drivers knew this all along, but it’s nice that everyone else knows it now too!
Freedom of the road
Many drivers choose this profession because of the sense of freedom it provides. As a truck driver, you get the opportunity to explore the open roads without being tied to a desk or working the usual 9 to 5 schedule. Truckers can often choose how many hours they take on, where they’re going or how long they’re away from home; that’s not an option for many other jobs out there! Their “office” is their desk, and many truckers get to see some of the most beautiful parts of the country from the luxury of their “desk”!
Bring your pet (or partner) to work options
Many truck drivers out there seldom travel alone. Depending on the company they work for, many trucking companies allow if not encourage truckers to bring their pets along for the ride. Coldliner Express supports our fur baby family and encourages our truckers to take them along on their routes. Several trucking companies also allow trucking teams; spouses or partners that help work the route. Not many jobs out there allow you to take your pet or partner to work every day!
Well-paying career
There is always a need for good truck drivers, so truckers know how lucrative the career can be. Reputable companies pay well with impressive benefits such as vacation, health insurance, and much more. What’s more, with the increased demand for truck drivers, compensation continues to increase. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, truck drivers’ annual mean wage in 2021 was $52,240 with full-time employment — but depending on the employer and role, truck driver salaries can be higher. The salary a truck driver can expect will vary depending on several factors such as hours worked, experience, miles driven, etc.
Numerous training options are available
The road to becoming a professional truck driver isn’t time or cost prohibitive. Though requirements vary by trucking companies, most require a high school diploma or GED, as well as a CDL, also known as Commercial Driver’s License. To drive a commercial motor vehicle in the United States, the driver must hold a valid Commercial Driver’s License, or “CDL.” To obtain a CDL, a driver must pass several knowledge and skills tests. Getting a CDL varies by state, and some trucking companies may assist in obtaining the proper training while others require a CDL and experience before applying for a trucking job.
Strong trucking community
There is truly a vibrant trucking community throughout the United States. Numerous blogs, podcasts, and publications are aimed specifically at truckers and the unique needs, interests, and challenges that come along with the job. Such resources provide industry news, opportunity, tools, and community for millions of drivers. Truckers support one another, and share tips, advice, road conditions, and the best places to eat! They share pictures and videos of their travels and continuously support one another. The trucking community understands that trucking isn’t for everyone, and the job has several challenges, but as a community, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Many truckers consider fellow truckers their family.
The trucking industry may not be a career choice for everyone, but for those who chose the profession, it’s because they love it! Think a career in trucking might be right for you? Get more information on becoming a trucker with Coldliner Express!
We’re excited to showcase another fantastic driver in our “Driver Spotlight” series: Cassidy Nicholson!
Cassidy has been with us for 7 months. We remember the first day we put her up in a truck. She just wanted to be a good driver and do a good job. We think she totally nailed it! Cassidy has been driving for a total of 1 yr. Her favorite thing about being on the road is seeing how different each part of the country is and trying out the local food in the area. When she takes her home time, she loves spending time with her son Jace and creating special memories with him. One of her favorite things to do is cook with him and do crafting.
Some interesting facts about Cassidy is she played 3 instruments growing up; the trumpet, saxophone, and drums. She played the saxophone in college with the marching band. Impressive, right? Cassidy has been an amazing driver, always on time, pays attention to her surroundings, and is always very professional. She is an asset to our company and has come so far in such a short time. We’re proud to have her on the Coldliner Express team!
We understand that our drivers are not only crucial to our success, but they’re also family! And just like any other family member, we’re invested in keeping our drivers happy and healthy. Driving a truck can include several hours on the road, so we put together some suggestions about how our drivers can stay healthy on the road.
Truck drivers can experience health problems
Because truck driving can be somewhat sedentary if left unchecked, they can experience health problems. As a matter of fact, truck drivers, on average due to their lifestyle, statistically have more health problems and shorter life spans than people in other careers. Contributing factors include lack of exercise, lack of access to nutritional foods, and off-balanced sleep routines. Truck drivers aren’t alone in these challenges; those who work the night shift or travel excessively face similar challenges.
Tips to avoid the path to poor health
The good news is that with a little planning and prioritization, truck driving can be a safe and healthy career. Here are a few tips that Coldliner Express wants to share with our drivers to stay healthy:
These tips are actually good for everyone, but especially important for truck drivers because of the type of job they have. Even making small lifestyle changes can result in a happier and healthier lifestyle.
At Coldliner Express, we’re committed to our truck driving team. We hope that providing these helpful hints for small but doable lifestyle changes will result in healthier truck drivers!
Our drivers are what make Coldliner Express great, so we’re starting a new initiative where we spotlight our fantastic drivers throughout the year. Our first driver spotlight is Jim Bynack.
Jim has been with Coldliner Express for three years. He is an excellent truck driver and always goes with the flow, the epitome of a team player! Anything we asked of him, he will do with no hesitation. He is very professional and takes pride in his job as a truck driver for Coldliner Express.
Because he is such a good and dependable driver, Coldliner rewarded him with a brand-new Long Nose Peterbilt. He loves the truck and says it is one of the smoothest rides he has ever had. His favorite part is the digital dash, and says it’s sharp when it’s lit up!
Jim says Coldliner is one of the best companies he has ever driven for, which we are thrilled to hear! Here are a few more fun facts about Jim: his favorite food is lasagna, but not from any truck stop. Homemade from scratch is the only kind for him! He attended Mt. Everett Regional School. One of his hobbies is photography; those pictures above are a couple that he took!
We’re fortunate to have an employee like Jim on our team and are pleased to showcase him in this month’s driver spotlight!
Here at Coldliner Express, we know that our drivers are crucial to our success, so we always go out of our way to show our appreciation. However, when Driver Appreciation Week rolled around, we knew we had to go big to show our drivers just how much we value them. Check out how Coldliner celebrated Driver Appreciation Week this year.
Lunch is on us
During Driver Appreciation Week, which was September 11th – 17th, we bought lunch for our drivers from various favorite restaurants. The drivers were thrilled! They enjoyed lunch from Roosters, Olive Garden, and Raising Cane’s, just to name a few. And wow…. the food was amazing!
Daily gift card drawing
Every day during the week, we gave out $50 gift cards to Texas Roadhouse and announced the winners on social media with cool video clips. If you missed the posts, check them out now on our Facebook page.
Coldliner Express swag
Who doesn’t like some swag, right? Our drivers loved the items that we gave away as part of Driver Appreciation Week, including tumblers and flashlights. And while it really can’t be called “swag,” we put out some really fantastic Coldliner Express cupcakes for everyone to enjoy as well! Surrounded by balloons and signs, our drivers knew how much we appreciate them each and every day.
We consider our drivers as part of our family, and we’re always looking for new people to join our team. We were honored to be able to shower our drivers with the attention they deserve and are already planning on more fun for next year’s Driver Appreciation Week!
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