Breaking Trucking Myths

Trucking myths

Anyone traveling on major roads is bound to see professional trucks going about their business. However, most people don’t have the chance to ask drivers about their lives, so they make a lot of assumptions. There are few industries with as many myths as trucking. It’s time to break open some of these trucking myths and get clear on the realities of what it’s like to be a truck driver in a modern fleet.

1. Truck drivers don’t have a home life

This is such a common misconception about any job that requires travel. Many people believe that the excitement of travel requires you to exchange the possibility of having a home life or a bed to turn into. That just isn’t the case with trucking. At Transam Carriers, our drivers have frequent time at home. Those with long-haul schedules have five to seven days at home at a time. The short-haul drivers have two to three days between trips.

2. Truckers have irregular schedules

Scheduling policies can vary across the industry. At Transam Carriers, our truck drivers have choices about how they want to work. We have scheduled and unscheduled trips with flexible schedules. Our drivers also have options about where and when they want to go. The life of a truck driver isn’t the same as someone who works in an office from nine in the morning to five in the evening every day. Drivers have more options about their schedules and what works for them and their lives.

3. The pay is terrible

There are a few different trucking myths that surround income. Some people believe that drivers earn irregular pay. Some believe that every driver is just scraping by. In reality, a lot of people choose truck driving as a career path because with a good company following the industry standard payment system, the income is solid and stable. At Transam Carriers, our drivers are paid via direct deposit either weekly or biweekly. On top of the regular pay, we also pay bonus cents per mile based on experience, safety performance, and professional conduct.

4. Trucking leads to an unhealthy lifestyle

The myths surrounding the health of truck drivers are appalling. Some people say that truck drivers never sleep. In reality, a good company will have strong safety policies to keep that from happening. There are myths saying that truck drivers don’t eat well, sit too much, and are victims of a system without safety regulations. We’ve also heard that some people truck drivers don’t have health care. This seems to be something a lot of people believe about any job that has travel associated with it because health care is often such a local service. That doesn’t sound like the kind of friendly working environment anyone would want to sign up for. Transam Carrier drivers are protected by our strong safety policies set by our safety team, who work to regularly monitor how things are going and keep everyone up to date with safety training. We also offer health and dental benefits to our drivers, so they stay happy and healthy.

5. The industry is full of lonely, rude people

Where do people get this idea? We believe it must come from the idea that because truck drivers are able to work independently, they must only ever be alone and must hate being around other people. This is a terrible myth that could not be further from our experience. Our company has always believed in teamwork. It keeps everyone happy and safe since we all look out for each other. We encourage our employees to always ask for help and take the time to give it to other people they’re working with. If someone on the team needs a guide through their next task, we love to see our employees signing up to take on that role. As part of our goal to have a friendly work environment, we have an open-door policy. Our company is also pet-friendly because we know how much happier that makes everyone involved.

6. Drivers have to repair trucks by themselves

Our company wouldn’t work without our onsite shop with truck and trailer mechanics. They are an essential part of the team that keeps our drivers safe on the road.

7. It’s an unsafe industry

This comes up a lot. There are so many myths about the dangers of the road. And certainly, it’s fair to say that any job that uses heavy equipment, like trucks and trailers, has its risks. This is why the industry has so many regulations. At Transam Carriers we prioritize staying up to date with all regulations. We have a safety team. Our open-door policy encourages our drivers to tell us anything they might be seeing come up as an issue, and our safety team responds accordingly.

8. Truck drivers are stuck using old tech

We often hear people say that truck drivers are stuck wandering the country in old vehicles that struggle to keep up. The truth is that a modern fleet is just safer and more efficient. Our fleet has 150+ trucks and 200+ trailers. As a regular practice, we keep them updated, with 90% of our fleet between zero and four years old. For the most part, our trucks are Volvo VNL 760. We aim for above the industry standards because we know the difference it makes.

Transam Carriers’ drivers

Conclusion

We don’t know when these misconceptions about the lives of truck drivers will ever truly go away. We do know that our experience blows these trucking myths right out of the water. And we do know that truck drivers who follow all job requirements are safely traveling from one destination to the next, all while earning a stable income and balancing their work with their lives at home. We’re proud to be part of an industry that supports the personal goals and well-being of so many hardworking people.

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