There are many misconceptions about the trucking industry, and although we recognize how important truck drivers are, there are still many people who hold these misconceptions about them. These various misconceptions are, at times, so crazy that all you can do is laugh at them. Here are our top 5 misconceptions about the trucking industry.
1. Only Men are Truck Drivers
This misconception is of course not true at all! There are over 200,000 female truck drivers in the United States alone. Statistically, female drivers are less likely to break safety regulations or be in an accident. They are also more likely to pass their CDL certification on their first attempt.
Female drivers are an integral part of the trucking industry and FCC!
2. Truckers Don’t Spend Time at Home
People tend to assume that truck drivers don’t have any time to spend at home. Being a truck driver does mean you spend a decent time on the road, it probably isn’t as much as you might think! Some truck drivers can be away for weeks at a time but that is not true across the board. Regional drivers are often home every weekend and they value being able to spend time with their family.
Even when drivers are on the road they do their best to keep constant contact with their loved ones through technology. FCC is proud to say that we are a family-oriented company that gets their drivers home every weekend!
3. Truck Drivers are Uneducated or Uncultured
This is completely false. Many truck drivers either got college degrees before or after they began trucking. Over 200,000 truck drivers have some sort of college education or even a bachelor’s degree.
A lot of people seem to think truck drivers lack knowledge just because of the job they have chosen. However, trucking is just like any other job and truckers often get to experience more in their lifetimes and see many exciting things that others don’t because of their job.
4. Drivers Earn a Low Income
The wages for truck drivers are better than ever! Drivers make a decent living and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, drivers average making $43,000 a year with the top 10% making over $65,000 a year. Companies are often highly competitive when it comes to pay, as they are often looking for people within the same talent pool.
5. Truck Drivers Cause Accidents
This happens to be the complete opposite of the truth. Truck drivers are actually involved in less than 3% of accidents on the road. Furthermore, drivers are also three times less likely to have an accident while on the road. Many of the accidents truckers are in are caused by other vehicles on the road.
Closing
There are many different misconceptions about truck drivers but these are the five we tend to see the most. Here at FCC, we care about our drivers. It is important to treat truck drivers well as they are the backbone of America!