Working as a truck driver is hugely appealing to many people. You can be your own boss, spend time on the road each day, and get the satisfaction of traveling to new places and meeting new people instead of being cooped up in an office. It is easy to see why many people turn to truck driving to make a living, but it can also be challenging especially early on. Therefore, it is helpful to be aware of a few tips for new truck drivers that should help you to overcome these challenges and enjoy the benefits that truck driving can bring.
Don’t Take on More Than You Can Manage
First, you need to take on a manageable workload. Many new truck drivers make the mistake of trying to take on too many jobs, which can add to your stress and lead to exhaustion. Not only this, but trying to make too many deliveries means that it is more likely that you will end up completing deliveries late, and this is something that you want to avoid at all costs when first getting started.
Use Load Boards to Find Workt
Leading on from this, you can use load boards to find jobs that are suited to you and this is ideal for a new truck driver. Load boards allow you to start earning straight away and there will always be work available to complete. You can bid on the jobs that work for you and build your experience with shipping work. As you start to learn and develop, you can then start to take on more work and look for ongoing work with customers. This will also help you to start building your reputation as a truck driver.
Don’t Neglect Customer Service
As a truck driver, you will spend most of your time alone and behind the wheel. There will be customer service at the start and end of each job, though, so you need to make sure that you are friendly, yet professional. The interactions that you have will shape the experience for the customer, so it is important to engage in conversation and help in any way that you can.
Look After Your Physical Health
When you spend most of your time behind the wheel and on the road, it can be very easy to neglect your physical health. This is dangerous and could impact both your work and personal life, so you need to prioritize your physical health both on the job and in your time off. On the road, you should take regular breaks, stretch, stay hydrated and maintain a healthy diet (try to limit the number of unhealthy meals in diners). You also need to make sure that you are getting enough sleep each night even if this means booking into a motel.
Hopefully, the advice in this post will be useful for any new truck driver or anyone that is thinking about embarking on a career as a truck driver.
