If you’re ready to start a new career where you can be a little more in control of your time during the day while also helping make life easier for people all over the country, you may want to consider becoming a long-haul trucker. While it’s not always an easy job, it could be a great match for you.

To help you learn what you’ll need and how this job could shape your life, here are three tips for starting a career as a long-haul trucker. 

Try To Gain Additional Driving Experience

Before you begin your career as a long-haul trucker, LearnHowToBecome.org suggests that you try to gain additional driving experience. Not only will this help you know if you’d want a career being on the road, but it could also make getting a job a little easier for you.

Sometimes, employers want truck drivers to have some other driving experience before they’ll hire them. So even if you haven’t gotten a truck yet, you could try to get a job driving a delivery truck or other vehicle that will give you experience behind the wheel as well as helping to prepare you for what you’ll be facing on a daily basis as a long-haul trucker, although on a smaller scale. 

Be Careful When Picking A Job

When the time comes for you to pick a job after you’ve gotten trained and certified as a long-haul trucker, you’ll want to be very careful about which companies you choose to work with.

According to Mark Applegate, a contributor to Chron Work, you’ll likely find that you have the best experience as a long-haul trucker if you work for a company that tries its best to have a good work/life balance for its employees. Ideally, you should try to find a company to work for that’s committed to the health and safety of its employees as well as one that gives employees opportunities to advance after spending some time with the company. 

Understand That This Is A Hard Life For Some

Prior to deciding this becoming a long-haul trucker is what you want to do, you’ll want to understand just what your life will be like when you’re on the road.

According to Arielle Pardes, a contributor to Cosmopolitan.com, being a long-haul trucker is more of a lifestyle than merely a career. Your truck will often feel like your home. And while this type of work can be hard, it can also be very rewarding if you find a way to make it work with your personality and temperament. 

If you’re considering working as a long-haul trucker, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare for this new career and life choice.