With years of truck driving experience under your belt, you may think that you’ve seen and done it all, which, in some cases, is true. From expedited trucking jobs to finally deciding to become an owner operator and do things at your own pace, you’ve discovered many different kinds of opportunities that the world of truck driving has to offer.
Although you may have gained a lot of experience and time through truck driving, it certainly doesn’t hurt to continue to expand your knowledge of the road and keep opening your mind to new learning experiences that become available for you.
No matter how long you’ve been driving a truck, you’ll want to stay open to any new opportunities that present themselves. Whether it’s learning a new trade in the trucking industry, taking on expedited jobs to continue expanding your abilities, or even jumping at the chance to sign up for a class or workshop; all of these experiences will sharpen your skills as a future owner operator. Taking classes or online training doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your edge; it simply means that you want to improve your skill set and continue growing in the career path that you’ve chosen.
Working with a trucking company as an owner operator does provide you with your own freedom and an opportunity to prove yourself, but it doesn’t mean that you’re alone on the open road.
If you’re presented with the chance to work with a representative or you can get help finding loads, take it. Accepting assistance will keep you humble and allow you to continue to learn. Becoming complacent in your position can cause you to make mistakes.
Whenever you have the chance to learn something new or get involved in anything that will give you a step up in your career, you should take it — whether you’ve been driving a truck for five months or five years.
