I’m fascinated by the life of the truck driver. As an occupation, it is the modern equivalent of what being a sailor used to be three hundred years ago. Long stretches of time away from home and hearth, a crusty disresgard for landlubbers, and a life spent in unfamiliar places in the society of other rootless nomads. Instead of islands and ports, truckers have truckstops and loading docks. Like ships, their trucks are made for long distance and for living. At a modern truckstop, you will find all the modern necessities of life. When I stopped into the “Flying J” truckstop in Waco, I was amazed at how specialized the facilities were. There are private rentable shower rooms, sit-down telephone booths for private conversation, WiFi internet access, laundry facilities, DVD rental, and even a television lounge where you can sit and unwind (see photo to the right). You could live your life entirely on the road, especially these days with the Internet and cell phones. The only challenges as I see it, intense boredom and the need to sit for long periods of time.
There’s actually a book called Sailors of the Concrete Sea. It’s all dry statistics and not any stories. The boredom factor is taken care of by hobbies, computer or TV and movies, just like at a house on a day off. The good parts are the independence and the greatest view of any office.