The first image that may come to mind of a truck driver is a long-haul, or over-the-road, driver. Marcus Cole, a commercial driver for TMC Transportation, returns home every evening.
He starts his day at 5 a.m. and returns to the company terminal by 3 p.m. Common stops include Bridgestone Tires offices in La Vergne and Lebanon. He is assigned the stops (a “dispatch”) each morning, and uses a monitor, not unlike a Garmin, to keep in touch with his co-workers and to track his progress throughout the day. After checking his vehicle (the front part is called a tractor, which pulls a trailer) he heads off to his local stops.
Cole refers to himself as a commercial driver, though the term professional driver would also be accurate. He leans toward the term 18-wheeler but semi-truck works too.
Growing up with a grandfather who worked as a commercial driver, and later a cousin, the profession made sense when his tech job was abruptly eliminated five years ago.
“Over a period of time, I was becoming a little exhausted with where I was at,” he says. “It was always on my radar, but when that happened, it just kind of accelerated my will and want to drive.”
Prospective drivers obtain a permit by passing a written test, then spend about three weeks training at a trucking academy. Most workplaces then require additional training and hours with a more seasoned driver. The field became more regulated in 2022, when the federal Department of Transportation instituted regulations called ELDT (entry level driver training).
The process from decision to driving professionally takes as little as six weeks, Cole estimates. He was able to apply for a scholarship to cover the costs, which vary but start at about $4,000.
Cole points out a shortage of truck drivers nationally coupled with a higher post-pandemic demand for shipping, which allowed him to get the local job he preferred. Seasoned drivers are retiring, while younger workers tend to gravitate toward computer-based jobs instead of trades. In the past, it was more difficult to find a local job, he says, with companies requiring drivers to earn their keep by driving over the road for several years. To beef up the workforce, some companies will create their own CDL (commercial driver’s license) schools or pay tuition at existing schools.
“Anyone that wants to get into trucking, I think this is a very good time to do so,” Cole says. “Companies are growing. The demand is increasing and they’re just trying to meet the demand.”
Outside of his work day, Cole has to be careful not to get too fatigued, and stretch regularly.
“Even after we work a full day, we’re still responsible for not overdoing it and not getting the appropriate amount of sleep,” he says. “That’s the single most important thing — making sure you get enough rest.”
Cole says working as a professional driver is much less stressful, and more collaborative, than his tech job.
“Especially if you’re a new driver, you definitely want that team around you that makes you feel comfortable so that you know you’re on the right path,” he says. “That’s the fun part to me, just interaction.”
The most difficult part is sharing the road, he says.
Trucks have a lot of mirrors, but there are still “no zones” where drivers cannot see fellow drivers. In an 80,000-pound truck, it’s more difficult to change speeds or stop, too. When other drivers merge two or three lanes at once, or go slower than the flow of traffic, it’s a challenge for truck drivers.
“Just from the shift of trying to stop, you might have avoided an accident but it created one once the container doors open — the shift in momentum can definitely take out some product,” Cole says.
Truck Drivers tend to be 50/50 when it comes to driving outside of work. Cole says he doesn’t tire of it.
