The trucking industry is not something that is widely talked about. A truck driver is not something people usually aspire to be. You would be surprised at how much people don’t know about the trucking industry.
Today we are going to share some interesting facts about the trucking industry which you might not have known before.
1. Women Make Up less Than 7% Of The Truckers
The trucking industry is male dominated and has very few female truck drivers. This can largely be due to the fact that trucking requires long hours away from home and other safety issues.
However women who love spending their time outdoors instead of inside the house and are not afraid of a few challenges will be suitable for this job. There is no gender discrimination since trucking offers equal pay for equal work.
2. Truck Maintenance Costs Are High
Truck maintenance and repairs can cost around 15,000 dollars annually. Maintaining a commercial truck can be quite expensive with fuel alone demanding the majority of the expenses.
Truck drivers have to spend money on wiring, oiling, tire replacements, along with other additional repairs. Some truck drivers take up commercial vehicle title loans to finance these repairs. If you own a semi-truck, you can use it as capital to cover repair expenses. You can find the truck of your choice on the online marketplace of commercial vehicles.
3. Trucks Are A Big Culprit Of Air Pollution
Heavy-duty vehicles like trucks generate more than 22% of emissions which are due to transportation vehicles. Trucks consume about 2.5 million barrels of fuel every day. This leads to an emission of more than 500 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
4. Truck Drivers Spend About 300 Days Per Year On The Road
It is no secret truck drivers spend the majority of their time away from home on the road. They have to spend many hours in isolation and this often takes a toll on their physical and mental health.
There is no proper sleeping or eating schedule most of the time. They have to drive for 10 – 11 hours continuously and will be asked to pick up loads at unfortunate times like 2 am or 3 am in the morning. This can lead to some boring and lonely times on the road. If you need something to do during those long nights you can always check out royalty speed.
5. There Is No Upper Age Limit For Truck Drivers
This would probably come as a surprise to a lot of people. There is no specific upper age limit for truck drivers and they can drive a truck as long as they are physically capable of it.
6. There Are trucking Jobs Which Pay Well
While the average truck driver earns 50,000 to 60,000 dollars annually, there are trucking jobs which pay 80,000 to 100,000 dollars per year. However these jobs tend to be risky and more dangerous. A few examples include ice road trucking, truck hazmat hauling and mining industry trucking.
7. Truck Drivers Have Unique Opportunities
While trucking jobs do have big demands, it can also present some unique opportunities. Truck drivers get to travel a lot and visit many new and different places. They get to explore new parts of the country which some even consider a vacation.
8. The Trucking Industry Is Still growing
Many people tend to think the trucking industry is dying and no one employs truck drivers anymore. This could be further from the truth. Truck drivers are always in demand and the increase in online shopping sales is just going to contribute to it.
9. You Don’t Need Special Qualifications To Be A Truck Driver
There is no particular formal education you need to be a truck driver. The essential requirement is a commercial driver’s license which is given after the person completes specific truck driving courses and a written exam. You don’t even require a college degree.
10. Truck Drivers Are more Important Than You Think
Many people tend to look down upon truck drivers and consider trucking a low class job. Every commodity we live on is made available to us because of truck drivers. Food, clothes, medicines are easily accessible because they are delivered by truck drivers.
Conclusion
We hope these 10 facts give you a little insight into the trucking industry. Truck drivers are no doubt very important people and contribute a lot to our society. The trucking industry is more interesting than you think!