My Trucking Experience

My Trucking Experience

Those who have been following me for a while know that I tend to embark on weird and crazy adventures—there's never a dull moment. One of those adventures is the trucking lifestyle, which was a must-experience for me because it aligns with everything my life partner and I love to do. The trucking lifestyle allows us to visit different places, sample various types of food, and get to know different people.

We were introduced to trucking while my life partner was working in the heavy steel industry, where all the raw materials they used arrived on a flatbed semi-truck. I invite you to read further and see how our trucking journey began—from being totally green with no experience to becoming Owner Operators who own our own semi-truck. I hope you enjoy reading!

The first step to trucking is to find a truck driving school and get a Class 1 license, as it's called in Canada. In the USA, it’s known as a CDL (Commercial Driver's License). There are three main criteria needed to be a truck driver:

1. Good health and physical fitness. If you take medication or have a chronic illness, you may face challenges.

2. No criminal record.

3. A squeaky-clean driving record. This will make it easier to find employment, and your insurance costs won't be as high.

Another great advantage is to have and maintain the lowest possible personal costs. This means no expensive mortgage or high car payments, as your income will likely be low for the first three years.

As you drive to different destinations, you'll see beautiful scenery, experience a lifestyle that very few get the opportunity to do, and face interesting challenges on the road.

My life on the road spanned about four years, and during that time, I learned how the transport system works. The fact that all the products you find on store shelves came by semi-truck is something I never thought about. I also learned that trucking is the most micromanaged and rule-intense industry because it is a part of public safety. My life partner did all the driving and fueling, and I handled the administrative part of the job. Some of my duties included preparing customs paperwork to cross the border, scanning bills of lading and proof of delivery for dispatch, and planning stops for fuel and for shutting down at night.

As we drove, my life partner taught me how to calculate Hours of Service, plan trips, choose places to stop for the night, and map routes. I also learned that states and provinces have their own standards and permits depending on what you are hauling. Driving a truck is nothing like driving a car. There are specific roads that trucks cannot use due to weight restrictions, low bridges, and power lines. After all, an 80,000-pound semi-trailer can easily damage roads.

Our destinations ranged from the East to the West Coast in both the USA and Canada. We drove through winter storms and summer heat. Experiencing the mountains in British Columbia, Canada, in the winter and putting chains on the tires to drive through heavy snow—just like in Colorado, USA—was an adventure for the ages; physical fitness really comes into play here. We favored the West Coast more than the East, as it is much less busy and more scenic and exotic.

I never knew a truck stop could look like a resort. My most memorable ones were Iowa 80 in Walcott, Iowa—the biggest truck stop in the world (no joke), where the famous antique trucking museum is located. When you go inside, antique trucks dating back to the 1900s are on display; it's like trucking history comes alive. Inside the shop, truckers can find numerous items to "soup up" their trucks, such as fancy shifters, steering wheels, lights, and even seats. There were about five different restaurants and a gift shop full of souvenirs, which I took full advantage of. I also visited its sister truck stop, Joplin 44 in Joplin, Missouri, which was smaller and didn't have the museum. Another great place I had the opportunity to visit was Barstow, California, where I got to shop at an outlet mall and eat at one of the nearly 100 restaurants.

Each destination we went to turned into a fun adventure. We never saw trucking as a job, which made the experience very unique. I also found that U.S. truck stops like Flying J/Pilot, Loves, and TA/Petro (TA Travel Centers of America) had the best customer service. Everything you need is available, including cell phone chargers, bedding, and basic items like antennas. You will never go hungry; the food may not always be healthy, but you won't starve. The restaurants in these travel centers are generally chains like Subway and Wendy's. As for the showers, they are very similar to hotels, and Flying J/Pilot even provides towels, which is very convenient.

I honestly felt like a paid tourist, driving through different types of neighborhoods. It gives you an idea of what life is like in various towns. Montana had a beautiful, scenic boardwalk with shops in a town called Missoula, which I hope to visit again one day; it looked like something out of a storybook.

The best times were when we were on what's called a "reset." During this time, we would rent a car and explore the town or city we were in. One of the nicest resets was in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We got a chance to visit attractions like Clifton Hill, the Wax Museum, the Skywheel, and of course, the Falls. This is one of the most touristic places in Eastern Canada. At the time, we also experienced the 2019 Pride Parade in Toronto, which gave us some much-needed exercise since we walked for hours.

Trucking was everything we expected it to be. We embraced it as a lifestyle and a passion. We are happiest when we're resetting on the road for long periods of time. We favor the western region as it's the most exotic and scenic, no matter the season. If you ever get the opportunity to experience this, I highly recommend you take it, as it's a rare chance you get in a lifetime.