Your first year as a truck driver is the most essential. This time proves that you are ready to meet the challenges of the road, working to perfect your skills, and can open a whole other world of truck driving job opportunities. So what can you expect from your first year on the road solo?
High Expectations
Transportation companies will expect a lot out of new drivers and new hires. You need to prove that you are a safe and reliable driver, and consistently. Truck driving is about more than just shifting gears and maneuvering tight spaces. You’ll also need to have excellent management skills and put them to use to increase your fuel mileage and meet tight deadlines. Additionally, you’ll need to learn the procedures your company has in place and adhere to the company standards.
Establish Relationships
Most importantly, as a new driver, you’ll need to make friends with your dispatcher. Though you have entirely different jobs, you are both working towards a common goal of delivering goods on time. Communicate clearly and constantly and you’ll both stay on the same page and be happy.
Rookie Mistakes
No one is expecting you to be absolutely perfect your first year. That fact holds true across all job functions. Everyone makes mistakes, but what matters is the severity and how you handle them. You may get lost and delay delivery. Handle it with grace and sincerity, then do your best to ensure that it never happens again.
Turnover
By the end of your first year, you might still be driving, but your classmates may have left the industry. Truck driving has a notoriously high turnover rate. Safe, efficient, timely drivers are highly valuable to transportation companies all across the United States. The more experience you attain as a truck driver, the more established you will become in your career.
Truck drivers that make it through their first year of solo OTR trips will find that many more opportunities open up for them. Experience, in addition to seniority, will help you start to get the miles and trips that you want and are excited to take.
Bay & Bay Transportation is continually looking for experienced company and owner-operator drivers. You can find current openings by visiting our Driver Opportunities page or you can click here to apply online immediately.