Trucking's TikTok generation grew up on social media, and now that they're entering the workforce and driving trucks, it's shaping the way they think about their lives and careers, according to a recent survey report from JW Surety Bonds.
The survey, which garnered responses from 212 Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012 -- wow) truck drivers, sought to find out what's real and what's fake when it comes to trucking and posting about trucking.
A quick rundown of some of the findings:
- TikTok or social media influenced 89% of Gen Z truckers' perceptions of the industry, with 54% saying it motivated them to pursue a trucking career.
- 69% see trucking as their long-term career, and 88% would recommend a trucking career to a Gen Z friend.
- 95% of Gen Z truckers feel mental health is taken seriously in the industry, but one in three still report significant mental health challenges and loneliness on the road.
- 48% have experienced harassment or discrimination on the job.
- 93% of Gen Z truckers glamorize the job "by staging their trucking experience to look better on social media."
The younger generation in trucking experienced a real-life awakening when they entered the industry, no doubt. Trucking social media influencers routinely glamorize the job, some making claims of quick riches -- plenty are just darn good photographers who make trucking look good.
The survey ranked the misconceptions Gen Z discovered when they started driving and found 46% feeling misled that they could quickly achieve success without experience, while 42% expected they would have total control over their schedule, 38% expected an easy work-life balance and 34% expected high pay. A third thought the work would be physically easy and always adventurous.
"Now that they're in the industry, many Gen Z truckers feel compelled to keep up appearances," according to the survey report. "About 85% said they've felt pressure to share a polished, idealized version of trucking on social media, and 93% admitted to making their lifestyle seem better than it really is."
But even after a perhaps rude awakening, these truckers say they're here to stay. 67% said the job was better than expected, 80% said work-life balance was good or excellent, and 69% wanted to make a long-term career out of it.
Despite a whopping 48% reporting harassment or discrimination on the job, these do not appear to be entirely fragile or "snowflake" type workers. A huge majority (95%) said that the industry took mental health seriously, with just 20% saying they constantly feel loneliness on the job. One in three noted they have faced significant mental health struggles.
That one in three figure compares to 42% of Gen Z broadly reporting a mental health diagnosis, according to a 2022 study.
Maybe trucking attracts the toughest members of Gen Z? Whatever the case, there were some worrying figures that came out of the survey results. Just about a third of respondents reported rarely or never feeling unsafe on the job, while 14% reported they always felt unsafe.
Otherwise, Gen Z's concerns seemed to have merit -- respondents worried most about what we all do: money, long hours, physical health. Does this seem right to you? If you're a Gen Z truck driver or owner-operator get in touch with [email protected] to share your story.
