With the rise of apps like Uber and Lyft, there was, for a period, a rather lawless period where freelancer drivers could make a lot of money without too much effort. Now, however, the idea of driving for a living, especially as a freelancer, has settled and, in some places, it might not be quite as lucrative as it was. But is it still worth looking into?

Here, we look at some of the major concerns people have about driving as a living, how valid they are, and try to answer the question of whether driving for a living is still worth it.

You Should Expect Some Stress

There are a lot of things to love about driving as a career, whether it’s for a rideshare app, doing deliveries locally, or driving lorries. For people who don’t like working from home, it can be a great way to freelance in a much wider work environment. However, any driver will tell you that stress is a frequent part of the job. Traffic, deadlines, and the time spent away from home and family can all contribute to this stress. As such, it is necessary that you bring the resilience to be able to handle that stress and have healthy ways to cope with it.

Demand Is High

One of the reasons that rideshare apps led to so many making so much money is that terrible taxi services in many major cities led to such a huge demand for more drivers, that the money came flying in. While that demand has dried up in the rideshare world to some degree, it’s the opposite in trucking. The outlook and trends for experienced truck drivers show that there are fewer truck drivers with the necessary skills and licenses than ever. This could mean that if you bring the right qualifications to drive the right kinds of vehicle, your job could be becoming more and more lucrative in the years ahead. The trends are continuing to show fewer properly equipped drivers in the market, so it could be an investment worth making.

Experience Drivers Get Paid Much More

In rideshare apps, how much you get paid usually depends on how good you are at securing future work. As such, you need both the effort of providing a great service and the history of pleasing your passengers to get a high rating in whatever app you’re a part of. With truck drivers, it’s pretty much the same. The starting pay is decent, but it’s when you start to get a few years under your belt that the salary tends to rise above the average. This is a trend that’s common amongst a lot of states. As such, if you have an inclination to drive for a living, the sooner you get started, the better.

Good Communication Skills Are Essential

Yes, you will be spending a lot of time driving by yourself in this career, but don’t think that’s the only skill that you need. You need to learn great verbal communication and listening skills alone. As a truck driver, for instance, you’re going to have to work with your dispatcher, customers, repair shop workers, and much more. If you’re part of a rideshare app, then good communication is crucial to customer service, and you’re likely going to be in touch with a dispatcher or representative from the company as well. If you’re not able to deal with people well, then there aren’t very many driving careers that involve being alone all the time.

The Big Money Lies in Networking

When it comes to truckers and delivery drivers, especially those with valuable experience and qualifications, then you can make a career not only behind a wheel but throughout the broader industry. If you’re looking for real career advancement, then getting involved with industry conferences and meetings is key. You can learn more about the technology you might be working with future, trends that can help you determine where to work and who for and build the connections that ensure you always have options if where you’re working right now doesn’t work out. In the driving business, as with all businesses, it’s who you know, not just what you know.

Driving for a living can still undoubtedly be a good way to make some money, especially for freelancers who don’t want to work from home. You just need to do your research and have reasonable expectations of what market you’re getting into.