Lesson of the Day: ‘5 Things You Might Not Know About Truckers’

This lesson is a part of our Accessible Activities feature, which aims to welcome a wider variety of learners to our site and to The Times. Learn more and tell us what you think here.

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “5 Things You Might Not Know About Truckers” by Peter S. Goodman

Have you ever driven, or ridden in, a truck? Do you know anyone who drives trucks for a living? Would you ever want that job?

While Americans rely on trucks to deliver their goods and products, it is a very challenging job — perhaps among the most difficult and stressful in the country. Peter S. Goodman, a reporter for The New York Times, rode alongside a trucker on a 1,000-mile journey from Missouri to Texas to find out what it’s really like.

In this lesson, you will learn about the challenges facing truck drivers in America and why these workers are essential to keeping our economy going strong. In a Going Further activity, we invite you to share your dream jobs and the kind of work you hope to avoid.

Warm-Up

What do you imagine the life of a trucker would be like? What might be the joys and challenges of driving across America’s highways alone for long distances?

With a partner, list the pros and cons of driving a truck for a living. Then, discuss whether you might ever consider being a truck driver when you are older.

Vocabulary

Here are 12 words you’ll find in this article that you may not know:

1. economic
2. central
3. haul
4. typical
5. circumnavigate
6. load
7. confront
8. median
9. dispense
10. enterprises
11. goods
12. function

Which words are you familiar with? Which are new to you?

You can find out what all the words mean, and practice using them, by checking out this list on Vocabulary.com.

The article also discusses the “supply chain disruption” that has been hurting our economy and leading to shortages of many things, including construction supplies, electronics and clothing. To learn more, you can read “4 Questions About the Supply Chain.” Or, explore our related lesson plan here.

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Click through and read the article above as a slide show, or download it as a PDF. If you want to learn more about the life of long-haul truckers, you can read a longer version of the article: “The Real Reason America Doesn’t Have Enough Truck Drivers.” Then, answer the following questions:

1. Compare your list of pros and cons from the warm-up activity with what you learned in the article about the challenges facing truckers. Were there any downsides to being a truck driver that were on your list? What did you miss?

2. The article includes many numbers and figures. It discusses the typical number of days and hours that truckers work, the average number of miles they drive and how much they get paid, as well as the amount of goods they carry each year. Which two numbers stand out to you most, and why?

3. What are some challenges facing women in the trucking industry?

4. How does what truckers do benefit all Americans as well as big businesses, such as Walmart and Amazon?

5. Does reading the article make you appreciate the hard work of truckers more? What questions would you ask a truck driver about the job and lifestyle?

6. Mr. Goodman writes that the life of a long-haul driver “isn’t for everyone.” Do you agree? Would you ever want to be a truck driver?

Going Further

Option 1: Learn more about the life of long-haul truckers.

Look at the photos and captions in “The Real Reason America Doesn’t Have Enough Truck Drivers.” Then, respond in writing or through discussion with a partner:

• What did you notice about the life of a truck driver in America from the photographs?

• What did you learn from the photos that you can’t get from text, numbers and statistics?

• What new questions do you have about the job?

• Which photo do you find most interesting, surprising or memorable? What does it show about being a long-haul trucker?

Option 2: What kinds of jobs would you like to have in the future? Which would you want to avoid?

Have you had a job before? If so, what was the experience like? Was it fulfilling? Well-paid? Stressful? Boring? What did you learn about the kinds of jobs and careers you’d like to pursue?

Make two lists: one with at least three jobs that you would like try some day, and another with at least three jobs you would want to avoid.

After you finish writing, share your answers with a partner: What similarities can you find? What jobs are you most curious about? Which would you like to see featured in The Times in the future, and why?

Option 3: Celebrate someone else’s work.

Interview someone in your family or community whose job you think is very difficult and who deserves more appreciation. Find out what the person likes most and least about the work, as well as one thing she or he wishes the public understood about it.

You might want to compile a few photographs into a slide show of your best interview quotes and images. Or, write a profile of the person and submit it to our Profile Contest by Feb. 16.

Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here.