What is the most physically demanding part of the job?

Opening and closing the trailer doors, either roll-up or swing doors if you pull a van or reefer. Getting in and out of the truck, especially if you're a city driver with a lot of stops. Using a pallet jack and pulling / pushing sometimes 2,000lbs with the jack ...depending on what you haul of course. Pulling the 5th wheel lever. Pulling the tandem slide lever. If you have to fingerprint the load ...unload box by box yourself some of them might weight quite a bit. Again it all depends on what you are hauling and what type of trailer. There are many women that are driving now .I think you'll be ok if you don't get in over your head and pick a job that suits your ability. Flatbedding is more demanding and requires strength and stamina and balance. The tarps are heavy ..100lbs. from what I hear.

 

Thats pretty hard to answer because every driving job is different. You have flatbed where messing with the tarps will give you a work out. LTL stuff where you are in and out of your truck all day and shuffling pallets around in the trailer. Food service up and down the ramp with a dolly full of food or beverage. Maybe some dry van tailgating stuff or refer finger printing some of your loads.

If you are just gonna be with a common carrier probably the most demanding part will be trying to stay awake and focused driving for long periods of time and, as a newbie, keeping stress at bay because that can wear you down. So it all depends on what venue of trucking you will be in

 

some of the tarps are heavier than that plkus you have to be part monkey to crawl over some of the loads. Kind of like playing twister 6-10ft in the air

 

putting up with male truck drivers on the cb

 

Waking up....

 

ROFLMAO! That's funny right there! Waking up and trying to remember in the first few seconds why you are getting up at this time, where you are, what you have to do... Wacky schedules are definitely hard to adjust to.

In the winter especially, moving the tandems can be a challenge. Trailer doors can be difficult, especially in the wind... and if you just happen to be on a spot that is not QUITE level, like THAT ever happens! Sometimes landing gear can take a linebacker to get them started when you pick up a trailer.

Good luck! Good thing you can fire right back at the idiots on the CB who hear a female voice and immediately think she must want to jump is bones! Sickening.

 

Nope...waking up is easy.


Climbing outta the rack is the hard part!

 

This is the kind of insight I want to hear. Just when I think tarping a load in sleet is the hardest part...I forget about having to be up at 2:30am because my 10 hours are up and the wheels have to turn!