Today we find that most of the time being a trucker means not getting much of respect. Often we can hear things like “talks like a trucker” or “curses like a trucker”. Many people have this image of a lazy, uneducated truck driver. Some also find it irritating that trucks take so much space on the road. So there are drivers who start acting really aggressively when they see a truck.
But what do we really know about trucks and those who drive them?
First of all, driving a truck is tough work. Imagine how hard it is to control such a huge vehicle. Now think what it is like to be doing it day after day, in any weather condition. You are far away from home. You miss your family and you’re on your own most of the time. You need to sleep less and move faster to actually make a living but you still have to obey the laws that often feel like they are written to cut your salary.
Truck driving is not just a job. It is not like your usual 9-5 and coming home everyday to a nice meal. This work is a lifestyle where your truck is also your home while you are on the road. And this lifestyle can be challenging for your health, too. Being a trucker usually means lack of normal sleep and healthy food. It takes an effort to take care of your health driving a truck for a living. And not to mention, this job is quite dangerous itself.
So why do we look down on truck drivers? And why do we forget to appreciate the work they do? It is them who ship goods we use in our everyday lives. Everyday lives we live that most of them sacrificed to be driving those huge trucks to provide for themselves and their families.
Have we really ever taken a moment to think about it while cutting a big rig on a highway? And what do we really know about trucks?
As Donald Trump once said it: “You people know a lot about trucks! Bing bing! Bong!” Sadly, the vine that got so popular is ironic in many ways.
