Introverted Truck Driver

would trucking be a good job for an introvert?

I think it would be. I think it's a good match for several different personality types as well.

Being an introvert is one of the major reasons that I'm going into trucking.

Sure, you have to deal with other people at shippers, you have to deal with other people at truck stops or while fueling or whatever.

And you have to be able to deal with other people during training, classmates and instructors and your mentor. But it's a lot more solitude than you get in many other fields. And you have to be okay with that sort of solitude to some degree.

Sure, you have to deal with other people at shippers, you have to deal with other people at truck stops or while fueling or whatever.

These types of contacts only go for a few minutes. Any introvert can handle these. Extroverts, too.

The big part of your life will be the aloneness. If you can handle solitude during your work day, you'll be that much happier.

Errol is right, you spend an enormous amount of time alone as a driver, so it's great for an introvert. But be aware of the fact that your ability to work well with people will be one of the most important keys to your success out there.

See, drivers have no authority, other than to say you won't drive the truck because it isn't safe or legal to do so. Other than that, you're never in charge of a situation. So if you want to get loaded or unloaded early, get your truck out of the shop more quickly, get more miles or a special favor from dispatch, or get out of a possible ticket from the DOT you must be able to work well with people and talk to them like a professional.

You're also part of a complex team at your company. You have sales, customer service, dispatch, load planning, operations, management, safety, recruiting, and all sorts of other departments which all come together to keep a trucking company moving. You have to be able to work well with these people in order to get the support you'll need to keep moving out there.

So it really doesn't matter if you're a hermit or a social butterfly. You will have to deal with people, and those interactions may be short most of the time, but they will be critical to getting more miles, getting more work done, and ultimately making more money.

I'm a loner myself, but at the same time I'm super friendly and get along well with people. You can have it both ways.

would trucking be a good job for an introvert?

I'm an introvert and I am looking forward to giving this profession a try.

Sure, you have to deal with other people at shippers, you have to deal with other people at truck stops or while fueling or whatever.

These types of contacts only go for a few minutes. Any introvert can handle these. Extroverts, too.

The big part of your life will be the aloneness. If you can handle solitude during your work day, you'll be that much happier.

I wouldn't say any introvert— I have met some who legitimately couldn't handle even a few minutes of contact and interaction, and who were so damn socially awkward that when they did have to handle it they messed up. But most? Most I'll go with. (Yes, I'm pedantic about my wording sometimes! but hey, being pedantic is fun, right? Right?)

And yeah. For myself, I not only can handle solitude but I prefer it and enjoy it.

I have met some who legitimately couldn't handle even a few minutes of contact and interaction, and who were so damn socially awkward that when they did have to handle it they messed up

That's beyond being an introvert. That's a condition of some sort.

I have met some who legitimately couldn't handle even a few minutes of contact and interaction, and who were so damn socially awkward that when they did have to handle it they messed up

That's beyond being an introvert. That's a condition of some sort.

It's one of the primary diagnostics for Autism Spectrum Disorders, particularly Asperger's. People on the spectrum tend to not just be socially awkward, but flat out socially inept. Ironically, many aren't actually introverts, they're just so horrible at interacting with other people, they withdraw. They often want to socialize, they just can't figure out how.