What It Takes To Be A Pilot Car Driver

Extremely wide loads being transported down the Interstate require a separate smaller vehicle to drive ahead. They are called pilot cars, and the people who drive them are people who drive them are called pilot drivers. The pilot car drivers are often not associated with the trucking company, but are independent contractors who specialize in navigating wide loads through a particular state. Read on to learn what it takes to become a professional pilot driver.

There is a certain amount of equipment your vehicle will require. You will need a fire extinguisher, signs, flags, a CB, among other items. Obviously, you also need to have a well-maintained vehicle that can handle many miles. Equipment requirements can vary from state to state, so it is important to have the equipment required by the states in which you work.

The easy part is buying the equipment you need. What is difficult is living the way you have to live to be successful in this business. Like a truck driver, a pilot car driver must be able to drive for many hours with few stops. And like a truck driver, a pilot car driver is paid per mile driven. So your earnings are directly tied to the number of miles you can drive.

Truck drivers have one advantage over their counterparts in the pilot cars, and that is that they have somewhere to sleep. When the day is done, a pilot car driver must find a motel. Paying for a motel reduces your earnings for the trip.

Driving a pilot car is not without its risks. Navigating a wide load can require the complete stoppage of traffic, which falls to the pilot driver. Sometimes aggressive driving is required, so timidity is not a trait that will lead to success in this field.

Pilot car driving is not something that you should just decide to do with no training. Your best bet to get into the field is to find an experienced driver who will allow you to ride along, and later maybe even drive the vehicle yourself. The wider the load, and the more difficult the situation, the higher the level of training that will be required to drive safely and effectively.

Pilot car driving is not an easy life, and it definitely requires a high level of concentration and determination. But if driving is what you love, and you are willing to live a lifestyle similar to a trucker, then it is a profession that you might find very satisfying.