There’s a saying “You’ve gotta have the right shoes for the right job.”
Well, this is true for any job or any situation, especially in trucking. For example, you wouldn’t want to run a marathon in steel-toed boots or climb a mountain in flip flops. It’s not only impractical, but it’s also quite dangerous. In trucking, I’ve noticed quite a few drivers coming into customers' facilities wearing sandals when checking in. Not only does this look unprofessional but certain times for safety and hygiene standards, closed-toed shoes are required.
If you’re not wearing the proper footwear you can be kicked off the property or at the very least turned away from checking in. Now I know as a driver having comfortable footwear is what we prefer to wear but places have these requirements there for a reason. So down below I have made a little list of shoes and boots to have on your truck so you’re covered from all angles.
- Shower shoes/sandals - these shoes are specifically for what their namesake implies. For when you shower because those floors can still be pretty disgusting.
- Slip-on casual shoes - these I have in my truck for when I’m going into a truck stop or to the shower. Trust me, there’s no way I would walk into a shower while wearing flip flops I had used to walk through the truck stop parking lot. (We all know they aren’t the most sanitary)
- Lightweight casual sneakers - these I wear more for when I’m driving in between customers. Fairly easy for getting on and off and easy on the feet and I’ve noticed swelling isn’t much when you drive a full 11 hours or decide to take a stroll around the rest area or Walmart
- Loafer or dress shoes with rubber sole - now these I have on my truck for when it’s time for a delivery or anything that requires a little more than just a sneaker. It provides a little more professional appearance especially with a pair of clean dark wash jeans or flat-front slacks.
- The last thing is a pair of steel-toed boots - now I have a pair of these under my bunk because I don’t need them all the time. However, some customers I’ve noticed do require them at my deliveries, especially in the northeast, because of the regulations at the customer and OSHA requires it as well.
Now you might be thinking, that’s a lot of shoes to have on the truck. It may seem like it but I keep most of mine in the passenger floor board area so my sleeper area doesn’t get too dirty by tracking outside elements in.
So in conclusion, next time you go to a customer, make sure you have the right shoes for the right job so you won’t lose a toe or be turned away from checking in, and I’m pretty sure your feet will be happier.
Til next time keep the rubber side down and in between the ditches.