New drivers’ never-ending dilemma when attempting to choose which trucking firm to sign up with is one of the most frequent issues we encounter on our forum. I am very sympathetic to those just wringing their hands in frustration about this situation. Recently, I warned that they were asking all the wrong questions to someone deeply involved in this conflict. It is really simple to get agitated about this. As beginners, we seldom even recognize the questions we should be asking. I hope that you can start a new career as a professional truck driver by breaking down this process for some of you.
Researching Online issue
Herein lies the main issue, a fabricated issue that doesn’t exist. One of the first things we do when we decide to pursue a profession as a truck driver is to get on to the internet and begin our research. What do we uncover? We discover a veritable chorus of whiners and grumpy people who only have negative things to say about any business that will take us on as rookie drivers.
They give the impression that the biggest and most prosperous trucking corporations were involved in national conspiracy and collaboration. They all seem eager and ready to profit from the never-ending pool of gullible, naive, and enthusiastic newcomers hoping to try their luck at this lucrative profession. Almost every online page we visit has this incredibly noisy group of people who seem smart and have all had identical negative experiences. And since these stories are so widespread, it is clear that we must be extra cautious to avoid being taken advantage of.
It becomes instantly clear that choosing the ideal business to work with from the outset is the only way to prevent being taken advantage of and exploited as slave labor. It’s “Them Versus Us,” and the only way we can avoid this catastrophe is to confirm that we have located that unique location that values its drivers and treats them with respect. In any other case, we will only be another throwaway victim of these vile, profit-driven businesses that routinely defraud their new hires.
Does it ring a bell?
Check out our podcast: Episode 10: Terminal rats are impeding careers in trucking.
Acquiring Some Valuable Lessons Myself
I want to assume that I am knowledgeable about this topic. For instance, when I wanted to start as a truck driver, I worked hard to come up with my top three choices of firms to work for, and then I frequently was refused by all of them. Really, out of three different orientations I attended as a new entry-level driver, I was sent home three separate times. Before Western Express offered me a chance, I was starting to lose hope that anybody would even want me.
Now that I look back, I am really happy that I began my career at what internet trucking wants tobes to refer – as a “bottom feeder” or “second chance” business. I can’t say enough good things about Western Express, and working there has allowed me to share a certain reality mostly hidden by the loud voices that misinform those considering trucking as a new profession.
The reality about starting as a new truck driver is that only you can decide whether to succeed in this line of work.
So, assuming that assertion is accurate, what should we focus on to launch this career? Of course, it wouldn’t be choosing which business to work for first. It would be that we must find the solution to this one crucial question:
“Do I possess the necessary qualities to succeed as a truck driver?”
You may name any organization you believe to be the best option for beginning your career, and I can find a plethora of negative evaluations to dissuade you from doing so. Instead, I could visit just about any truck stop and talk to a current employee who would advise me to steer clear of that business.
What can we learn from that?
It instructs us to:
To succeed in trucking, I must take responsibility for my actions.
In every company, you must establish your worth.
Where do we place the responsibility when one driver does very well at one organization while another performs exceptionally badly there? One driver often performs poorly while another performs poorly, yet both drivers were working for the same dispatcher! It requires a person to tackle this problem since it is an individual issue. When we put all our efforts into selecting the ideal firm with which to begin, we overlook the one factor crucial to our success.
Take a good one, a long look in the mirror, and decide that you will show your value to whoever hires you as a new driver if you want to succeed in the trucking industry. Most of these businesses recruit fresh rookie drivers based on informed guesses, which is the reality. Based on a few signals they have learned to detect that could suggest you can live, they have reviewed your application and are willing to give you a go. It is all they have to go on. It is up to you to justify their faith in you since they are taking a risk on you.
Low Expectations Apply To New Drivers
No dispatcher in the nation believes that the new drivers on his board will survive through the first year. They have gone through this procedure many times before, and each time their new drivers fail them somehow. It’s simply a fact of life in our line of work. The people who succeed are unique, possessing particular traits that enable them to overcome the many obstacles that overwhelm most of their rivals. It takes a lot of competition to become a professional driver and keep up your career as one. Now let’s discuss the characteristics that make someone especially likely to succeed in this field.
Performance-Based in Trucking
Being cautious with your expectations is one of the first things I advise folks on. Have you noticed how, in the sentence before, I used the term “competition”? In many aspects, our company is quite competitive. The competitive aspect of this work is one of the things that utterly blindsides rookie drivers. We often enter this work with the mindset that “if I have selected the appropriate firm, then I will be receiving a lot of miles, and hence earning excellent money.”
Wrong!
Your performance is the cornerstone of this career. You have no prior driving experience as a new driver. Your dispatcher is aware of some drivers that consistently deliver for them. Such drivers will be receiving the majority of the work. You need to prove your value as a novice driver. You must continually practice safety, productivity, and on-time arrival.
Discover Effective Dispatch Communication
Also, you must properly communicate with dispatch so that they know your availability schedule and how you handle each task on your present load. When we first begin this job, most have utterly unrealistic expectations. Thus we must be aware of the reality we will encounter.
Greatest Therapy Is Given To The Top Drivers
How often have you encountered whiners and complainers online who claim that firm X refused to provide them with enough miles to make ends meet? I can assure you that business X has many drivers that are logging various miles since that is how they generate money.
The whiners and complainers don’t realize that we get what we deserve in this field.
It’s a competition, so anybody hoping to have a fair shot at it simply by turning up for work on a given day would quickly find dissatisfaction. Establish high standards for yourself. Your expectations should be in that area. Instead of expecting fair and equal treatment from the organization, you want to prove that you can be relied upon with the greatest loads. That is how you will be treated fairly in this industry. You put up the work and developed a reputation as a high performer over time.
You Need To Solve Issues
Another factor that makes so many individuals fail in this field is this. Most of us are used to working in positions where a manager or supervisor is present and whose responsibility is to ensure that everything at our place of employment is running as smoothly as possible for us. We may simply inform the manager of a problem to transfer responsibility to the person being paid well to handle situations like that rather than dealing with it ourselves.
Early in my career, I realized that my dispatcher didn’t require me to unload all my issues on him and then expect him to devise a solution. Dispatchers refer to this kind of driver as a “Problem Kid.”
A problematic youngster may not even have phone calls returned, and he or she may sometimes wait for dispatch to get back to him or for hours on end. This kind of driver is commonly called clingy or constantly wants their hand held by my dispatcher. This kind of driver is not what a dispatcher wants to spend valuable time on.
A good driver develops independent thought and problem-solving skills.
Here, you discover how to do this. You must recognize its significance and relevance and begin cultivating this trait at a young age.
Be ready for the high level of dedication required by the trucking industry.
Hard workers who know this profession requires long, irregular hours are another quality of effective drivers. When individuals concentrate on how much holiday time they want to have as a truck driver, I sometimes find it amusing. I am continuously working to make the most of my available time, and your dispatcher will count on you to do the same.
By transferring goods, we generate revenue. In eight days, we can drive for 70 hours; this is a substantial amount of time. The average week for truck drivers involves two full-time jobs. A well-known online whiner claimed that his employer pressured him to drive recklessly because they wanted him to work through his exhaustion. He had already taken two ten-hour vacations before they expected him to return to work, which is the crux of his argument. Come on; you won’t succeed in this industry if you can’t work after spending so much time relaxing. You could be deluding yourself if you think this profession is for you if you don’t have the kind of work ethic that loves to hammer it hard and keep on it until the task is done.
Get along with others.
A successful truck driver is often noted for being easy to get along with or to work with. Many hard-headed know-it-all types are drawn to this career. The folks with type A personalities find a home here where they aren’t troubled by others around them. Even though this career involves a lot of isolation, you still need to get along with others if you want to be successful. Type A personalities may be excellent truck drivers, but they must maintain composure and avoid being “too big for their britches,” as my late grandmother used to say. You will find yourself being ignored and not accomplishing anything if you come into this situation believing that everyone is stopping your development and attempting to force your way through your clients and dispatcher. There is a method to get things done even in a difficult setting, and it often includes a person who is aware of the dynamics of each circumstance and knows how to act under pressure. You won’t succeed in this industry by blowing a fuse whenever you encounter a burden and expecting everyone to submit to your demands. It will be crucial to your success whether you have to acquire this habit or not; for some of us, it comes naturally.
Discover Time Management Techniques
You’ll need to develop effective time management skills. This phase of the profession involves a lot. Not only are you starting a new work, but you must also become used to another way of life. Finding the time for meals, baths, laundry, and other activities may be difficult for a novice, inexperienced driver. Organizing your time outside here presents obstacles every day. You work under severe deadlines and rules that limit you to certain time windows while completing your tasks. You will have difficulties if you have previously had trouble managing your time in other facets of your life. Each new driver must learn to acquire this essential ability as they forge a strong bond with their dispatcher. Once you got the hang of it, this is an area where you can truly stand out from the other drivers in your fleet. Understanding the logbook guidelines is one thing that truly assists someone in this field. You can often make yourself appear to be a superstar on the squad just by using your imagination and knowing how to maximize the regulations. A driver who understands how to make the most of his available hours is adored by every dispatcher.
Did you notice that none of the factors listed above that contribute to a truck driver’s success have anything to do with the business they chose to join when they first began their career? Consider it very carefully. Avoid wasting your time and causing yourself sleepless nights worrying about which business will treat you fairly. I received excellent service from a business that only had negative online ratings from previous drivers. How does it work?
Your treatment in this profession will depend on your performance and attitude.
You will gauge your level of achievement. Don’t pay attention to the doubters; they are no longer credible. The people out here daily making it happen have no regard for them. Your behavior speaks for itself.
