4 Characteristics of Successful Truck Drivers

We work with a lot of truck drivers that bring in their vehicles day in and day out. Just as in any profession, there are certain individuals who enjoy their job and excel at it and others who just do the minimum to get by. Truck driving is a career with high turnover, so if you’re considering getting into the field, you should be sure it’s something that you’re actually interested in AND that you’re cut out for it.

When looking at truck drivers who are successful and enjoy their career, here are some of the common characteristics they have in common:

• They are responsible and reliable

Not everyone carries the same sense of responsibility. When you’re a truck driver, you are the sole person responsible for making sure a delivery gets where it needs to go and gets there on time. Many businesses rely on truck drivers to meet specific timelines in order for their business to run smoothly. If you want to be good at and keep your job, you’ll need to have a sense of responsibility.

• They don’t mind working alone

Truck drivers spend a lot of time alone; it’s just the nature of the job. If spending time alone with your thoughts sounds terrible to you, then truck driving probably wouldn’t be a great fit. However, some individuals thrive in positions where they work independently for the majority of their time. If that’s the case for you, maybe you should consider truck driving as a career option.

• They handle stress well

Even though driving truck means you don’t deal with or are surrounded by people all day, you are still technically surrounded by people all day; except those people are in their cars on the roads you travel on. Traffic delays, bad drivers, and weather can all cause stress for drivers, so you need to be able to keep your cool no matter the conditions.

• They are great drivers

To even be considered for a truck driving position, you need to have a great driving record. But the monitoring doesn’t stop there. In order to maintain your job and your CDL, you need to continue to prove that you’re a safe and reliable driver. If your driving needs some work, you might want to take the extra time to practice before considering driving a large semi-truck.

Being a truck driver isn’t for everyone. There are some people who will enjoy it more than others. If you’re interested in becoming a truck driver, or you already are one and simply want to become better at your job, take these characteristics into consideration.

At Smith Springs, we know that breakdowns and repairs cost you time on the road. That’s why we work hard to make sure you’re in and out of our shop in a timely manner. If your truck is in need of spring replacement or repair, contact us today to make an appointment.