Trucking Questionnaire

It’s always interesting to me when I tell someone that I am a truck driver. I get all of these questions about miles I drive, what it’s like and so on. I like to see their reactions to particular answers. When I started Big Rig Ebooks it was mentioned that I ought to have a checklist of some of the things you should consider before you enter the trucking industry. Kind of like a occupational survey so that you can find out if becoming a truck driver is right for you. So I will do my best to include every aspect of the trucking lifestyle. These are some of the questions you should ask yourself on your way to becoming a truck driver. And depending on your answer you may want to try a particular sector of trucking or maybe not consider trucking anymore. Trucking is not for everyone. However, there is a lot of leeway to adjust to make it your own. Good luck!

A. Trucking is a very solitary career. How do you handle being on your own?

1. I don’t mind being on my own, I actually prefer being by myself or in a small group rather than a huge group
2. I’m a bit more social than that. I would prefer to be around someone for parts of the day.
3. I’m a socialite! I can’t stand to be alone for more than 2 minutes. It makes me depressed to think about being alone for more than an hour.

B. How are your problem solving skills? Do you need to be told what to do? Or can you make decisions independently?

1. I am confident and can handle making my own decisions and facing the consequences of failure if that happens.
2. I can go either way. I like to be told exactly what to do so I don’t screw it up. But, sometimes I am ok doing small tasks on my own.
3. I work for the man, I don’t make the decisions, he does because he owns the company and I work for him.

C. Trucking is a career where you have to work long hours and different hours of the day and night for weeks at a time.

1. This doesn’t bother me. I like variety. And this way it’s not so monotonous you aren’t doing the exact same thing everyday. That would get boring!
2. Well, I prefer a little more structured work environment. I like to know when I am working. I don’t mind the long hours. But I want a steady schedule.
3. No way man! I am moving to Colorado where I can sit on my butt and smoke pot all day! Work what is that?

D. You have to have an internal drive to succeed when it comes to trucking. You have to have your own motivation. No one is going to hold your hand.

1. I am a self-starter! I like the idea of being a captain of a ship. Or even having my own business. Who knows, lots of possibilities out there!
2. I like clear cut goals set by a supervisor. I like to see how I compare to other people and I try to do my best.
3. I’ll do what’s required of me, but after all it’s just a job man. World of Warcraft or watching football is way more important. It’s RAID NIGHT tonight and I can’t miss it!

E. I like to learn new things everyday. We are constantly improving our skills in trucking and like to increase our knowledge.

1. I like to stay informed. I keep up on current events and I want to be really good at whatever I am employed at doing.
2. Well, I don’t mind learning new things. But it is hard to teach an old dawg new tricks.
3. No way! I don’t want to learn anything new. Teach me what I need to know and leave me the hell alone!

F. A truck driver needs good math and reading comprehension skills.

1. No worries here. I can generally do most math without a calculator and I can read and understand any road sign or owner’s manual.
2. I didn’t do so great in school. But I can try real hard and I’m sure my skills will improve if I get some practice.
3. I can’t even read this trucking questionnaire and I don’t even know how old I am or what time it is.

G. Working in the trucking industry requires you pay attention to detail.

1. No problem. I like to get every little detail correct. I wouldn’t have a problem keeping track of my permits or watching for weigh station signs.
2. Well sometimes I lose focus. Overall I do pretty good if I set reminders for myself. My organization could use some work.
3. I’m like a bull in a china shop. I do it big or not at all. I don’t sweat the small stuff.

H. Trucking requires you to have discipline in your personal life. You can’t stay up all night on your time off and you have to be moderate if you consume alcohol.

1. No problems here. I don’t drink or my drinking is not as important as my meal ticket (your CDL license). And I like sleep.
2. Well, I’m a bit of a party animal. But, in order to make a good living I can make a few sacrifices.
3. I’m up all night partying and drinking and could care less about rules and responsibility.

I. If you want to work in trucking you will have to spend several weeks away from home.

1. With any great reward there is sacrifice. I can handle whatever I need to so that me and my family have a good income and lifestyle.
2. Not my most favorite thing. However, if I have to deal with it for a little while till I find a more local job I can handle that.
3. No way! I can’t leave home are you kidding? I’m a momma’s boy!

J.  I like the idea of listening to music, audiobooks and talk radio all day. As well as wearing what I want to my job!

1. Oh heck yes! This sounds like a winner! I knew trucking wasn’t all bad!
2. Well, sounds ok. It may help to pass the time and I would stay comfortable.
3. I’m a uniform kind of a guy or gal and silence is golden. I wish everyone would just stay quiet!

Congratulations! You have come to the end of our trucking questionnaire. Let’s see how you did. You go asked 10 questions about your occupational personality. Add up your answers. If your score is 10-15 truck driving is made for you, we’ll see you on the road! If your score is 16-24 you may want to try an LTL freight carrier that is local to your area. Or even a regional trucking company. If you answered 25 or higher than trucking is probably not your cup of tea. Remember, this is only 10 questions and if you have any specific questions about trucking you can always go to our Forums and post your questions there or you can use the contact us form. Good luck in whatever you choose to do and thanks for taking our questionnaire!