Why I Became a Trucker

A question one of my aunts once asked me has stuck with me for a while, and I've been pondering it quite a bit lately. She asked, "Your mom tells me you became a trucker because of 'Smokey and the Bandit.' Is that true?" Well, yeah, more or less, it is.

I grew up in the 1970's, and was fairly young when the movie came out. But through reruns on TBS, I became very acquainted with the film. It is still one of my favorites today. Back then, truckers were the kings of the road. They led a life most would only dream of. And that's what I did. I wanted to be The Snowman, running that bootleg Coors into Atlanta, with a bad-ass Trans Am running blocker for me. It's a thought that got stuck in my head at a very early age, and it really stuck around.

But when I became old enough to follow the dream, I followed a path that society found more acceptable. By that point, the luster of trucking had dulled quite a bit, replaced with meth-addicted truckers who were chasing lot lizards and running until they died. Accurate or not, that was the public's opinion of trucking for quite a while. I went to college, got a white-collar job (such as it was), and just went through life, not finding much fulfillment.

But that dream, that seed that was planted when I was very young, never really died. I kept it in the back of my head, never really acknowledging it, but never really killing it off either. I realized that I wasn't happy doing what I was doing, but it was more socially acceptable, so I kept with it. The problem was, the job I was in was sucking my soul away. All I did was tell customers no all day, and I'd go home at the end of the day, wondering what the point of it all was. Ultimately, there was no point. I was in a job, not a career, and it was sucking all the joy out of my life. I knew I had to make a change, and when the opportunity came, I took it.

Long story short, I found myself unemployed and unmotivated. I didn't want to go back to doing what I was doing, and I was unsure I could make a go of it in a different career. My mom asked me what I really wanted to do, and I told her trucking. It was an idea that had become more prominent, but I didn't think it could become a reality. She helped me along, and made it possible.

That road isn't always easy. As I've mentioned in previous posts, this life isn't always easy. But, at the end of the day, I can look back at what I did and see something quantifiable. I can say I made a difference. Because of the work I did, frat boys at Penn State will have beer to drink this weekend. Shoppers at Walmart in Texas will have potato chips for their barbecues. Kids in Argentina & Brazil will have computers to do their homework on (well, more likely they'll just use them to download porn. I don't judge). Farmers in Japan will have hay for their cattle. Fitness buffs in Seattle will have protein for their shakes. Old guys in Iowa will have Viagra, and I don't really want to think of why. Kids in New York will have Halloween costumes. Yes, I've hauled all of that and more. And it makes a difference, both to me and the economy. I find a high level of fulfillment in what I do. And I've never been happier.

This is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. It may not seem like much, or not a big deal, but for those of us in the industry, it can mean quite a bit. Most people look as us as a nuisance. Nobody wants to be stuck behind one of us crawling up a hill. We are disrespected by others driving on the road. I can't tell you how many times I've been cut off, or given the finger, or yelled at for something that was out of my control. But take a moment to think about the impact truckers have on your life. Everything you have, everything you own, is hauled by one of us at one point or another. We keep America going. So please, take a few seconds to wave at a trucker, say hi, or smile. Give them room on the freeway. Believe me, we will appreciate it. It may be the only positive thing we get that day.

Do I regret becoming a trucker? Not for a minute. Certainly I wish things were better. But I'm not complaining. I wish I would've taken this path many years ago.