Truck driving jobs allow those professionals tough enough to handle the hardships of the lifestyle, a means of exploring this great country of ours. From Bangor, Maine to San Diego, California or Tacoma, Washington to Key West, Florida . . . there are a lot of miles to cover for the professional over the road truck driver. Through it all . . . between those endless miles . . . the truck driver sees it all.

You will find many ads for truck driving jobs describing the excitement and freedom of the open road. They lure in the unexpected by imploring you to “get away from it all” and enjoy the feel of freedom that only a truck driver can know. The truth is . . . truck driving, specifically over the road truck driving, is a rough and tough lifestyle that few can handle. As the number of vehicles on the road today continues to climb and there appears to be more autos than roads, you do not have to be associated with truck driving jobs to experience the rise of “road rage.”

According to a survey by AutoVantage, a Connecticut-based automobile membership club, Miami, Florida takes the top spot in the country for the highest rate of road rage among drivers. This is the second straight year in a row that Miami has won the “honors.” Based on their study, the top twenty-five cites for road rage are:

1. Miami, FL
2. New York, NY
3. Boston, MA
4. Los Angeles, CA
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Phoenix, AZ
7. Chicago, IL
8. Sacramento, CA
9. Philadelphia, PA
10. San Francisco, CA
11. Houston, TX
12. Atlanta, GA
13. Detroit, MI
14. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
15. Baltimore, MD
16. Tampa, FL
17. San Diego, CA
18. Cincinnati, OH
19. Cleveland, OH
20. Denver, CO
21. Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
22. St. Louis, MO
23. 23. Seattle-Tacoma, WA
24. Pittsburgh, PA
25. Portland, OR

In today’s world of over crowded highways and the rush attitude of the present society, this phenomenon of road rage will likely continue to rise. It can be a frustrating time for all of us . . . if we allow it to be. When the roads are jammed by an accident, road construction or whatever the cause may be, the professional truck driver, those men and women who have taken on the challenge of endless driving for a living, will take a deep breath, put their favorite tunes on the radio, and will deal with the situation.

Truck driving jobs are not for everyone. The ultimate test will come when you are fighting a dead line with a load of “hot” freight, and the never-ending highway in front of you comes to a dead stop for hours. The way you handle it . . . the way you deal with it . . . will determine if you truly are a professional.