The popular image of truck drivers was forged in the 70s by movies such as Convoy—along with the accompanying novelty song—and Smokey and the Bandit. The trucker was a slightly shlubby, flannel wearing greaser. He was a rebel, a loner, who spent his days exploring this great country and straying just a little bit over the line of the law. He and his fellow truckers spoke in elaborate code on CB radios and always managed to evade the law at the last possible second. They were the new cowboys, out taming the roads of the west.

Times change, but the popular perception of the trucker didn’t seem to and what was once ‘cool’ now seemed old fashioned and silly. The perception of the trucker shifted to being one that was out of touch with the times. This, obviously, is total nonsense. Of course the trucker and the motor carrier industry changed with the times. Logic dictates that they would—name another industry so reliant on communications and technology. Just as truckers pioneered the widespread use of CB radio in the 70s they were the drive behind the use of cell phones in the 90s. Look at a modern truck; it has more electronic gizmos inside than Bill Gates’ private jet. There is no way that truck drivers could do what they do nowadays without having changed with the time, without having been ahead of the times. But still, that image of the trucker seems to stick in peoples' minds. Could it be so wrong? Short answer, yes—and here’s the proof:

Atlas, of Evansville, Ind., recently surveyed 558 of its truck drivers, or ‘van operators’, about virtually every aspect of their lives. Turns out, truck drivers are far from that long held stereotype in almost every way. Going step-by-step through the perceived notions about truckers, it is easy to see how wrong they are.

 

The Loner: Truckers aren’t the loners they are made out to be. They do not spend vast chunks of the year out on the roads and away from their families. The majority of respondents (32%) spend less than 20 weeks out on the road. A similar number of respondents (33%) averaged less than 50,000 miles in a year. Debunking that myth even more, 46% of respondents said the best part of being a van operator was meeting and working with people from all over the country. When the trucker was at home, 58% of respondents listed spending time with family and friends as their favorite pastimes. The CB Holdouts: While a large number of truckers surveyed did still use CB radios (44%), 97% percent of respondents used a cell phone. There is even more evidence of the tech-savvy trucker being alive and well. 32% of respondents used a laptop on the road and 27% had access to the Internet and email. 38% of respondents used a computer on a daily basis. The Shlub: Wrong again! The survey shows that truckers are overwhelmingly concerned with staying healthy and fit while out on the road. 56% of respondents worried about being able to eat right while driving and 26% worried that they needed more exercise.

 

So who is the Modern American Trucker? Not surprisingly he or she is little different from any other 21st Century worker—Tech savvy, hard working, health conscious and family loving. The Atlas survey just goes to show that the popular image of the trucker born in the 70s belongs back there with 8-track players and bell-bottom jeans.