Becoming a Regional Truck Driver is a dream come true for a lot of Truck Drivers. The idea of being free on the open road and enjoying life is very exciting, and something you will enjoy. However, Regional Truck Driving doesn’t have only positive things. In my 3 years, I've learned there are also some downsides that you need to overcome.
Here's what I've learned in the past 3 years being a Regional Truck Driver.
Regional Truck Driving Pros
1. Proximity to Home
If you're a Regional Truck Driver, you get to stay close to home. You only take routes within your region, which means you can get home more often. If you have a family and more specifically kids, this is a huge bonus that long-distance truck drivers don't get to enjoy.
2. Weekly Miles
Despite the fact that you are a Regional Truck Driver driving within the same region all the time, you can still put in a lot of miles, we are talking about 2500 miles plus weekly. More miles will translate into a better income for you and your family, so it’s well worth the effort to look into becoming a Regional Truck Driver.
3. Road Familiarity
Being a Regional Truck Driver You will be a lot more familiar with the road and simple stuff like that can make a huge difference.
Example: If an accident happens and it blocked the main road, you can use your experience to access all the other side roads and not deal with any delays. Personal Experience.
4. Hygiene
When you are a Regional Truck Driver, you don't have to worry as much about cleaning your clothes or taking a shower out on the road. You will be close to home, which means hygiene will not be an issue. Some truck drivers can find it hard to shower and perform any personal grooming when they are out on the road.
5. Eating Healthier
There’s no denying that eating healthy is a problem for any truck driver. Sure, there are all kinds of truck driver tips that you can follow, but the truth is that you will try to rely on fast food. And that’s obviously unhealthy. Thankfully, a Regional Truck Driver won’t have to worry about food that much. Since you’re driving around your home region, you can prepare your food yourself and store it in a fridge or a cooler for a day or two. It’s still fresh, and you get to enjoy the experience and results. That on its own can make a huge difference.
Regional Truck Driving Cons
1. Slip Seating
Usually, Regional Truck Driving involves the idea of having multiple people rotate and use the same vehicles. That means it can be common to be assigned a new vehicle, or other people will use yours multiple times. It’s a problem for any Truck Driver because sometimes drivers will re-adjust the steering wheel, not to mention other drivers have varying degrees of cleanliness. So yes, while it’s not a major con, it’s definitely an issue for some.
2. Repetitiveness
Another con of Regional Truck Driving that is often overlooked is seeing the same stuff over and over which becomes rather boring. Regional Truck Driving is more of a boring job for people that want to see new things or experience new stuff. It definitely has its perks, but if you get bored of the same scenery very often, that can be a problem.
3. Random Schedule
Some Regional Truck Drivers won't really have an assigned schedule unless they are on a dedicated route will say. In fact, you can end up having nighttime routes one time, and the other time you will work the entire day. It happens, and the randomness of this regional truck driving schedule can be quite problematic. This is why it can be a bit of a downside if your family relies on you at a very specific time. You can sometimes make it work, but it’s certainly one of those things that come with its fair share of downsides and challenges.
4. Manually Loading & Unloading
Sometimes there's a lot of physical labor when it comes to Regional Truck Driver jobs. There's no denying that this can be physically intensive. So it's definitely important to understand the challenges that can arise and see if this is something you can tackle or not. Some of the jobs might not be like that, yet some of them are.
5. Social Interaction
Most of the time you will be on the road, driving your truck. That certainly has its fair share of challenges, and it's definitely a great idea to take it all into consideration. Regional Truck Driver jobs can be a bit tricky because you don't get to interact with people too much.
Conclusion
Is it a good idea to become a Regional Truck Driver? For me, this is one of the most fulfilling and exciting careers in the world. Yes, it does have its pros & cons, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Like every career, Regional Truck Driving does have its fair share of downsides, but at the end of the day, you can overcome most of them. It all comes down to your personal preference, optimizing your schedule, and also adapting yourself to whatever path you go down. I am a firm believer that regional truck driving is exciting, an amazing job and it has a wide array of opportunities. Sure, it might not be for everyone, but it’s definitely the type of job that will impress you immensely if you give it a shot!
I also broke this down in an 8 Minute video here
Here are some other trucking career paths you can also pursue other than Regional Truck Driving.
TL;DR
Pros of Regional Truck Driving
Proximity to Home
Weekly Miles
Road Familiarity
Hygiene
Eating Healthier
Cons of Regional Truck Driving
Slip seating
Repetitiveness
Random schedule
Manually Loading & Unloading
Social Interaction
Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
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