There is a right glove for every job. They do more than keep your hands warm. They protect your
hands. In some cases they protect your back as well. It is important to remember that an injury can bankrupt an owner operator as fast as anything. Protect yourself. Protect your business. Prevention is always better than repair.
I am a trucker, runner, bicyclist, snowmobiler, and motorcyclist. Each of these can require a different type of glove. Bicyclists wear a fingerless glove with a padded palm. They do it for two reasons. The cyclist will put weight on their hands for prolonged periods of time. That can cause the fingers to go numb. In case of a fall the gloves will help
prevent or lessen injuries to the hand. Motorcyclists will wear them for the same reason. I usually wear a full finger glove when I ride my motorcycle. They also help keep my hands warm.
Truckers have taken to wearing the fingerless gloves as well. I am going to start trying this. I am awaiting carpal tunnel surgery. The tip of the index finger on my hand is numb. It can get painful. Hopefully the gloves will help.
When I run my hands sweat. Wearing regular gloves does not help. My hands get too warm and I am constantly putting on and taking off my gloves. I use a dry fit pair of gloves when I run in cold weather. Problem solved. One of the jobs that I had when I was going through college was as a bricklayers' laborer. Part of my job was setting up blocks and bricks for the bricklayers. Those rough blocks can tear up an accountant's hands. True, you're hands will heal and gloves cost money. Missing
work is more costly than gloves. Wear your gloves.
There was a time when my profit came from hand unloading trucks. My loads were typically 1,000 cases of paper and weighed about 30,000 pounds. They were floor loaded and needed to be palletized. That meant handling about 3,000 boxes and 200 pallets every week. Pallets can give you slivers and the boxes can give you paper cuts. In cold weather boxes could slip out of your hands. Trying to hold on to them can hurt your back. The gloves that I used helped with my grip. They kept my hands warm and protected. Just as importantly they helped keep
the boxes in my hands. That helped protect my back.
As an owner operator preventing injury is an important part of protecting my business. I use glove for fueling, opening and closing trailer doors. Dolly handles can cut your hands if the handle has been damaged. It is easiest to just climb out of your truck and get the job done. Take the time to put your gloves on. That second can save a nasty cut and even time off work. Gloves do more than protect my hands. They protect my business.