Although some people love the idea of a life lived on the road as a truck driver, it isn’t always as romantic as it seems. Movies like Smokey and the Bandit make it look like a big adventure. And, we all know that truck drivers can make a lot of money.

The reality is that there are pros and cons just like everything else. And it pays to know what the cons are before thinking about the positives. This way you can decide if being a truck driver is right for you. After all, being alone on the road day and night is not for everybody.

1 -- Risk of accident

When you are on the road full time, you will see just about everything. The weather conditions will certainly be crazy. Hail storms, snow and even tornados can be common occurrences that can put your life at risk.

Then add in the lack of sleep and boredom on your part and the unpredictability of other drivers and you have a recipe for an accident in the making. Chances are good that you will end up in an accident at some point even if you simply base it on probability since you are on the road so much.

An accident can happen anywhere but you could be in one at night or someplace rural that also complicates matters. if you’re in a truck accident in West Virginia then it could take a while to get medical attention, for example.

2 -- It’s hard to maintain relationships

Being on the road is a lonely job. This is fairly obvious and most people would understand that it would be like this. However, one thing that might not be as obvious is how difficult it is to maintain your relationships back home.

When you are away for the whole week and only around on the weekends then it is not easy to just take up your marriage where you left off on Sunday. You likely missed out on many events that would normally be done together or problems resolved between the two of you. Marriages can easily be strained by these absences.

Even friendships take a hit as you are not really around much and aren’t included in many social gatherings as a result.

3 -- It’s hard to stay healthy

The two keys to a healthy life are the right diet and plenty of sleep. And both of these things are distinctly lacking in a truck driver’s life. You don’t have a kitchen to prepare meals so eating is generally done at truck stops. And the food is hardly a balanced diet as we all know.

Sleep is often just a couple of hours at a time so you are not able to recover from the day and let your body heal during your sleep cycle. Not only that, but the sleep is often not deep enough even when you do manage to get more than a few hours.

Then there is the lack of exercise. A sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy whether you work in an office or drive a truck all day.