Photo by Quintin Gellar from Pexels
Truck driving is a job that pays pretty well. It’s true that some companies are working on self-driving trucks, but their full implementation does not seem likely for some time to come. In the meantime, you can sometimes make $70-80K per year as a truck driver, and you don’t need a college education.
However, truck driving makes more sense for single individuals than it does for those with families. If you’re married or cohabitate with someone, it might make this decision harder. If you have children, that might be another reason to pursue a different career path.
Here are some things to think about if you have a family, but you’re thinking about getting into truck driving.
It’s a Dangerous Profession
Truck accidents aren’t exactly uncommon. There are ways of trying to determine the liability of a truck accident, but if you’re in one, your family isn’t going to think about that first. They’ll want to know if you’re okay, and truck accidents do cause severe injuries or death sometimes.
That’s because:
- Truck accidents sometimes involve multiple vehicles
- Truck accidents often take place on the highway, with higher-speed vehicles
If you’re driving an eighteen-wheeler, you’re one of the road’s biggest vehicles, so if something hits you, you’ll probably get the best end of it. Still, your truck tipping over is always possible.
You Won’t See Your Kids Very Much
If you’re a truck driver, you also might not see your children as much as you’d like. You don’t want to miss too much of their lives at any age, but you certainly don’t want to miss things like:
- Their first step
- Their first word
- Birthday parties or sporting events
If you’re hauling produce or electronics two thousand miles away during your first-born son’s birthday party, that’s not a good feeling. Missing them hitting the game-winning home run during Little League won’t win you many points with them.
It’s true that you’re making good money to help put clothes on their backs and food on the table, but your kids want to see you. That fact alone might make you decide to try something else instead.
You Won’t See Your Spouse or Partner Very Often
At the same time, you’re missing time you could spend with your partner or spouse. That might be okay for both of you if you feel like you don’t need to spend every waking minute together.
However, truck drivers sometimes spend days away from home. That’s not the best way to stay close to someone. While you’re on the road, they have their own life going on.
They might drift apart from you because you’re not there enough. They might feel emotionally distant if you only see them every couple of weeks. They might even start an affair with a friend or coworker.
Some relationships end because of jobs where a partner is not physically there enough. If you’re driving a truck and away from your home regularly, it might seem like you prioritize the job more than your partner or spouse. That may not be a sustainable situation.
Self-Driving Trucks
It’s also true that while you can make some pretty good money as a truck driver right now, automation is coming. Companies are testing self-driving trucks as we speak, and some of them are probably not that far from hitting the road.
As we mentioned, it’s still probably going to take some time before this profession disappears entirely. Still, it’s coming, and when it does, you might not be sure about what to do next.
If you have a partner or spouse and a family who needs support from you, you might not want to start on an inherently unstable career path. You might feel like this is still your best option, and you’ll deal with that problem when and if it arrives.
It’s a problem, though, if self-driving trucks come along right when you’re trying to send your kids to college in a few years. If you didn’t get a college education, you might struggle to change careers later in life.
Truck driving makes more sense for the single individual than a parent or someone who’s married or cohabitating. If you’re single, you’re relying on yourself, and you don’t have to think about anyone else.
There’s no rule against truck driving if you have a family. Just take some time and think about these considerations before you plunge ahead with this career choice.