Learn What It’s Really Like To Drive A Semi In Iowa [WATCH]
"If you bought it, a truck brought it" is what the Vice President of Transportation, Chris Gulker, told KCRG. What is it really like getting behind the wheel of a massive semi-truck? The TrueNorth Trucking Insurance Company, in Cedar Rapids wanted, their employees to see what it's like firsthand.
What's the biggest vehicle/truck you've ever driven? I once drove a full-size school bus around a completely empty, trucking school parking lot, and when there isn't anything around to worry about hitting, it was pretty easy to travel forward at the slow pace of 15 mph. Doing this on city streets and highways would be a completely different ballgame.
TrueNorth's goal behind having their employees get some behind-the-wheel experience was to help their people understand what it's really like for those who drive these massive machines.
Gulker told KCRG
We feel like if we can equip our people to better understand and empathize with what it’s like to be in the seat of a truck driver, we can help support our trucking clients.
Things that your average commuter might never think about while driving their everyday car would be how wide your turns have to be, where to stop to use the bathroom, or how to navigate through an urban area with cars that might not give you the room you need to turn at a light.
TrueNorth employee, Ellen Bardsley, was one of the employees who got to operate a semi-truck and she admitted that it was pretty intimidating. She learned how gear shifting works, and what reversing with a trailer was like. She also used a truck simulator to try and navigate through a city with other obstacles on the roadway. She told KCRG
The driving part is what intimidates me. I should stick with marketing. This did not come naturally. I consider myself to be a pretty good driver. That was tough. There was a lot to think about when you’re driving
It's important to remember the importance of what these drivers provide to the state of Iowa and the rest of the country. "Nearly every good that is consumed in the U.S. is put on a truck at some point", according to KCRG.
Anything you can do to make the lives easier of truck drivers will go a long way in helping them to keep the country moving. When necessary, you should give them space and understand the difficulties that come with driving these massive trucks.