TRUCKING
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Some people think that driving a truck sounds like a romantic notion. But for my own part, after driving a truck for eight years, I'd have to say that I honestly can't recommend it. Unless, of course, you like being abused and disrespected by the general public, screwed over by trucking companies, preyed upon by law enforcement, and robbed by truck stops.
If that sounds like fun to you, then trucking just might be the career you've been waiting for.
Okay, so I'd be lying if I said that I didn't come away from truck driving with a lot of really cool memories. I admit that there are worse jobs to have. The unvarnished truth is that some people are cut out for it and others aren't. I was never one of those guys who thought being a truck drivers was the coolest thing in the world. Those are the guys I consider to be “truckers”. They love the life. No, I was a “truck driver”. Big difference. I had a job. I did my job. I got paid. It was as simple as that.
Sure, I brought my share of stories with me when I came off of the road. And I miss it sometimes. I think it's very cool that I've been to all 48 continental states. And that when I hear a story on the national news, I'm usually familiar with the area where the news is happening. Like when that bridge collapsed in Minnesota and they were reporting that a bridge had collapsed on I-35. My first question was “I-35E or I-35W?” If you know the area, you know what I meant by that.
I guess I could have summed this up quickly by stating, simply, that the romance of trucking wears off rather quickly. After that, there's a lot of driving. And then a lot more driving.
I can probably sum it up best by sharing a routine my cousin Mark I got into whenever I would come home. He'd always greet me by asking “Been to the Grand Canyon yet?” I'd reply by saying “No, but I passed the exit a couple of times.” That pretty much sums it up.
- Wicasta Lovelace
last updated by Wicasta - Apr 26 2008