This Is What It’s Like To Live As A Commercial Truck Driver

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Producer’s note: Someone on Quora asked: What is the life of a commercial truck driver like? Here is one of the best answers that’s been pulled from the thread.

Let me tell you what my 25 years behind the wheel has taught me.

I have a house I don’t live in.

I have a wife I don’t see.

I have pets I don’t play with and I have a car I don’t drive.

I live in a metal box and by definition I am homeless.

I work long hours but receive fair pay.

I spend most of my time alone but my peers consist of a rugged bunch who complain about everything and have very poor fashion sense (multiple layers of flannel shirts?).

I deal with people who expect me to be at a certain place at a certain time and then have me wait around needlessly for hours without explanation.

I deal with people who think a 70 foot long, 40 ton vehicle can stop and turn on a dime and go from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and then flip me off when it can’t.

I eat out of paper bags and Styrofoam containers.

I get phone calls from home in the middle of the night when I’m hundreds of miles away telling me something broke and I need to do something about it.

I deal with mechanical breakdowns that can often leave me stranded on the side of the road for hours until help arrives.

I’ve driven through torrential down pours, white out blizzard conditions, searing heat, freezing cold, a forest fire, and even at least two hurricanes.

I’ve been lost more times than I care to remember.

And I was robbed on one occasion.

And you know what? I wouldn’t change it for the world or for a multi-million dollar portfolio so I could retire tomorrow. There’s nothing else I’d rather do.

I feel I was born to do this.  It’s in my blood.

This answer originally appeared at Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge.