Antony Delgado works as a supervisor/truck driver at Proline Transport, where he has been employed for 2 years. He completed his education at Juarez Driving School and has been in the field of truck driving for 11 years, since 2014. We asked Antony Delgado the following about his career:
Q: What does a typical day for you look like?
A: “A typical day looks like an easy 5 days a week, 14-hour shifts, picking up loads in Illinois and shipping them off to California. Afterwards, they are put onto a rail (train rail) so that they can get transported.”
Q: What do you enjoy about your job?
A: “I enjoy the freedom of it. You’re able to go on your phone, take breaks, and stop at pit stops, buy stuff you need and a quick bite—as long as you’re still doing your job.”
Q: What challenges do you end up facing?
A: “A challenge I face is staying awake on the road after a long day. It gets difficult, especially when you’ve been working nonstop all day. Even a coffee or a Red Bull doesn’t work.
Not only that, I dislike when I run into reckless drivers. Something I would say though is to remember that truck drivers take longer to brake than a regular car does, so braking quickly in front of a semi or ‘brake-checking’ is EXTREMELY dangerous.”
Q: What education do you need for this job?
A: “As long as you go into a trade school and study, you can start right away after high school—with or without a diploma.”
Q: Lastly, what advice do you have for someone who wants to start their career as a truck driver?
A: “Advice I have is: save your money. Don’t buy a Charger right away or buy a Hellcat Demon. And something important is you won’t be living a minimum wage life. However, do know that there are pros and cons to this job. You end up missing a lot of special occasions, but you also end up being able to live in your semi and not have to rent out a home—if you’re on your own and want to save money.”
