Jesús, a 42-year-old truck driver from Madrid now living in Oregon, has shared on the YouTube channel @SúperGeografíaCanal what daily life looks like behind the wheel on America's highways. He spoke while driving one of his regular routes between Oregon and California, heading to Sacramento.
Jesús works in refrigerated transport, a division that operates across the entire country. He said he is effectively working all 48 states, and that every day he sleeps in a different one.
His routine centres on truck stops and the inside of his own vehicle. These service stations offer laundry, a supermarket and showers, all managed through mobile apps. Jesús called the cabin of his truck his little apartment, showing a space fitted with two beds, a microwave, an air fryer and a coffee maker so he can prepare his own meals on the road.
To get through the long days, Jesús said keeping certain habits and watching what he eats matters. He described grape must and coffee as almost indispensable given how long the days on the road can be, adding that he tries to eat as healthily as possible within the limits the job allows. His cabin also has independent heating and power inverters adapted to the 120-volt US electrical standard.
Working hours and safety regulations
US trucking is governed by strict time-tracking rules similar to the European tachograph system. Jesús explained that the system marks 14 hours of available working time within the day, of which 11 hours can be spent driving, and that drivers cannot work more than 70 hours over eight days. His truck also carries proximity sensors and an AI-equipped camera that monitors for sudden braking or manoeuvres that break the rules.
Pay: cents per mile
Jesús said his pay is calculated mainly through a cents-per-mile model. He earns 62 cents for every mile he drives and is paid 210 dollars a day, with a guaranteed base of 9,700 miles a month. Drivers can also qualify for a productivity bonus on top of that base. Jesús noted that in Spain he had at times earned higher pay working in the special transports sector.
From the Spanish army to US highways
Jesús spent nearly two decades driving in Europe before moving to North America, having obtained his driving qualifications during his time in the army. Getting his residency card took a four-year bureaucratic process that was delayed by the pandemic. He said he carries the American flag because coming to work in the United States had been a dream of his since childhood.
Nighttime risks and life on the road
Driving through wooded areas brings its own challenges, including wild animals on the road, as well as technical rules such as California's bridge formula, which limits how a trailer's axles can be positioned. Facing the unexpected at night, Jesús said he avoids swerving dangerously and dismissed the superstitions common in the trucking trade. He summed up his outlook by saying success lies in trying, and that failure lies in not trying, not in falling short.
