The world of trucking offers many great possibilities for those considering a career in truck driving. Jobs are highly available, pay rates continue to rise, and the integration of new technology makes the job safer and more efficient than ever.  

For those who are new to the industry, however, it’s understandable to have some questions and concerns. After all, every job has certain pros and cons. 

One of the biggest concerns amongst people considering truck driving is the amount of time they’ll be away from their families and friends. It’s the nature of the business that you have to drive away from your home. Since there are only so many hours in a day, and truck drivers are only allowed to drive for so long on a given day, it’s inevitable that you will end up spending nights in your truck. 

The amount of nights you spend in your truck, however, can vary greatly from job to job. You could be gone for a few days. You could be gone for multiple weeks. Some might not mind being gone for long periods of time.  

Others, however, value having a place they call home where they’re actively involved. Even if you think you can handle being gone for a week or two at a time, make no mistake… 

Quality Home Time is Important 

Many truck drivers think they’ll adjust to the schedule of being away from home constantly. But once you start missing birthdays and sporting events and holidays and other activities, it starts to take its toll. Before you take any trucking job, you should have a good understanding of what at-home time you will be receiving. 

At-home time covers both how often you get back home and how long you’re home for. This is not to be confused with paid time off. At-home time is similar to the nights and weekends enjoyed by other professions.  

Certain jobs can have sparse and/or irregular at-home time, making it difficult to feel a part of your home community. 

There are of course local trucking jobs that are comparable to delivery driving. Naturally, many of these pay less than longer-haul driving jobs. Additionally, while they keep you close to home and maintain regular routes, they tend to require a fair amount of physical labor with loading and unloading. 

Thankfully, there are other ways you can get consistent miles along with quality home time. 

What Quality Home Times Means at Woodruff 

New drivers at Woodruff quickly learn that we’re a little different from your traditional trucking company. In a good way. In addition to competitive pay, quality benefits, and consistent mileage, the vast majority of our drivers will find themselves operating in a radius of 500 miles or less. That means you’re never too far from home. 

In fact, you can expect to be in the truck one night and back home the next. While we do have longer routes, these are largely covered by existing drivers who prefer those drives. 

We also work with repeating customers and routes, which means our drivers have pretty regular schedules from week to week. As for the freight you’re hauling, it’s all no-touch, so you won’t have to worry about loading and unloading it. 

So, if you want to be a truck driver in Springfield, Ohio, Charlotte, Chicago, or Baltimore, but you also value time at home, consider Woodruff. We have jobs ready and waiting.