What it takes
December 6, 2019
Anyone can be a truck driver, but not everyone can have what it takes. Manuel Hernandez, SCCC CDL and truck driving instructor from Liberal, says that this is a job you must genuinely like to do it full time.
“If you don’t like your job, you won’t be able to handle all that comes with it. It can be tough being away, especially when a family member gets sick because you won’t be able to turn around and stop to come back,” Hernandez says.
“Being a truck driver is not easy. It’s a job that takes away from your personal life too. You leave home and you never know when you’re coming back. You have to work hard.”
Jacobs adds that one needs discipline and dedication, too. Sacrifices such as losing sleep, personal time to rest at home, not seeing family and other basic needs become second priorities.
In Hernandez’s experience, he was away from his family a lot and would go multiple days without coming home. When he did finally come home, he says he did not get much time to relax on his own, since his family was always wanting to go out, “but ultimately it was okay as long as I got to spend time with them.”