Not everyone can drive a truck for a living. This isn’t because the skill is hard to learn. Instead, many people can’t handle the job itself. Driving a commercial or owner operator truck is often called a lifestyle rather than a job. Why is this? Because it places unusual demands on you that you won’t find at ordinary jobs. The truck driver spends a lot of his time on the road away from his home and family.
If you find that driving a few hours is rough, driving a big rig isn’t for you. Not only is there a lot of driving, the weather and traffic doesn’t always cooperate. Those who excel at commercial or owner operator truck driving have a number of psychological traits in common. Here are three important ones:
Independent
By this we don’t mean a person who doesn’t listen to others or has to have things his own way. Such a person would have a very brief trucking career. Instead, this person must feel comfortable spending a lot of time alone. Introverts are like this as well as others who have both introversion and extroversion in their makeup. Introverts aren’t necessarily shy, and many succeed as actors, managers, world leaders, and of course, truck drivers. These people merely require some alone time to “recharge their batteries.”
An independent person is also self-reliant and can make decisions and resolve problems in an emergency on his own. This is necessary because commercial or owner operator truck drivers are often on the road hundreds or even thousands of miles away from their home base.
Reliable and Dedicated
The successful commercial or owner operator truck driver is a consummate professional. This is only possible when the person is dedicated to his work and can be counted on to reliably deliver loads on time, drive safely, and keep his rig well maintained. For him, passing DOT inspections is never a problem. This driver is a great asset to the carrier he works for and to his customers.
Handles Stress Well
The commercial or owner operator truck driver is under pressure to meet delivery schedules. However, weather and traffic don’t always cooperate and he may find the going very slow at times. Rather than stressing out, he takes it in stride and uses the time to think of ways of making up for it later, or of finding an alternate route.
If you are looking for affordable rig insurance in South Carolina, don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions.
