Off-road enthusiasts love taking their vehicles on difficult terrain and trails to embrace the adventures that lie ahead. They enjoy going through rough obstacles with their off-roaders and seek new adventures every time they hit the trail and off-road truck drivers are no exception as well. With the versatility of a usable bed, pickups have a significant advantage over SUVs. They offer more storage space and increase the level of practicality. As a matter of fact, trucks, or pick-up trucks were three of the best-selling vehicles in 2022 which included the Ford F-Series pickup trucks, Chevrolet Silverado, and models from the Ram lineup.
Whether it's for daily use or off-roading, trucks remain popular across America, and it's easy to see why. Pick-up trucks are well-suited for off-roading, and the rise of off-road specific trims (think TRD Pro, TRX, and Raptor) on several models feature standard 4WD, huge chunky tires and wheels, and additional off-road hardware and features. So here are the 10 things only off-road truck drivers understand while hitting a trail or rough terrain.
1 Thrill Of Conquering Challenging Terrain And Obstacles
Off-road truck drivers love adventures. They search and drive through challenging terrains and obstacles for exhilarating experiences. These challenging terrains may include:
- Rocky trails
- Forest trails
- Mountain trails and passes
- Deserts and sand dunes
- Gravel roads
- Snow-covered surfaces
You can also further include obstacles such as mud bogs, water crossings, steep inclines and declines, off-camber sections, rock crawls, and even jumps. In fact, there are many off-road parks and obstacles like Rubicon and the infamous Moab trail. They are specifically designed with off-road enthusiasts in mind, and you can always see a number of off-roaders driving through these areas.
Traversing such trails and obstacles requires specific skills and experience, along with proper vehicle setup and modifications. So when all these factors come together to successfully tackle a difficult terrain or obstacle, the level of satisfaction for off-road truck drivers is incomparable.
They are well-versed in putting the off-road hardware to good use by having the drive train and 4x4 system in the correct mode and proper use of the differential lockers to get out of a sticky situation. Knowledge about approach, departure, break-over angles, and wading depth is also handy.
2 Importance Of Proper Suspension And Tire Selection
The suspension and tires play a very important role in any type of off-road situation. So, truck drivers must ensure that the suspension and the tires they use for their vehicles are adjusted accordingly. They help increase the ground clearance of the truck and maintain its stability by absorbing the bumps and shocks in the off-road trail.
Drivers are also well aware that they need to be tuned according to the terrain that they will be traveling. If they are going through bumpy trails, a soft setup with lots of suspension travel is preferred. Whereas, a leveled gravel road might require a firmer setup with lesser suspension travel for fast off-road stints.
At the same time, the tires help in improving the grip of the trucks while off-roading. You also need to select the correct type of tire depending on the terrain that you are traveling on. In order to tackle a variety of surfaces like snow, mud, and rocky trails, you will need specialized tires with off-road tread patterns, sidewall protection, and suitable tire compounds.
Similarly, it is important that they must also be appropriate tire size with the right air pressure based on the terrain. A large tire size with reduced air pressure is generally recommended for driving on the sand as it offers a larger contact patch, which results in more traction. Bead lock wheels can come in handy here.
3 Joy Of Modifying Their Trucks
Almost every auto enthusiast enjoys modifying their vehicles according to their needs and wants. But off-road truck drivers have a special joy in modifying their rigs. This is because the majority of their modification are practical and highly focused on the terrain that they’ll be traveling.
There might be some cosmetic modifications to improve the visual appearance of the vehicle. Nonetheless, every other customization on their trucks improves its off-road capabilities in one way or the other. Apart from suspension and tires, these modifications may include the addition or improvement of the following parts:
- Grill guards and bull bars
- Skid plates
- Rock sliders
- Winches and recovery gear
- Off-road lights
- Roll bars
- Engine performance upgrades
All these pieces of equipment have vital purposes while hitting the off-road trails, helping in tackling the obstacles ahead.
4 Navigation And Reading Trails
Off-road truck drivers must have superior skills for navigation and reading trails if they don’t want to get stuck or lost when out and about in the wilderness. Thankfully, there are some helpful tools like maps, GPS navigation systems, trail markings, and warning signs to help drivers with it. But an experienced off-road driver has the ability to observe the terrain and anticipate possible difficulties.
They have a keen focus on slight changes in the landscape like differences in soil structures, tree roots, and the flow of water. These factors are useful to identify the level of difficulty of the trail, along with possible ways to overcome the obstacles that may appear. Drivers can then adjust their speed, apply the correct driving techniques, or make up their minds in advance on whether to tackle the route or take a detour accordingly.
5 Necessity Of Recovery Gears
Off-road environments may include many unpredictable situations and difficulties, as the routes lie within natural resources. So recovery gear is necessary to prepare for any unexpected events and aid in getting the drivers out of these situations.
Winches are one of the most vital recovery gears that off-road truck drivers use. But they also need straps and tow-ropes, shackles, hi-lift kits, and recovery boards at times of difficulty. All these tools and equipment are purposefully built to recover stuck or stranded off-road vehicles. They can be used during self-recovery as well as assisting other off-roaders.
6 Patience During Recoveries
While going on extreme off-road terrain, there is a high chance that truck drivers may need the use of recovery gears. Being stuck might be inevitable since they’ll be tackling very difficult obstacles on the route. If the situation may arrive, they know that patience is the key. The drivers remain fully calm in these unforeseen situations and try their best to overcome the situation using the recovery gear.
Experienced off-road drivers are super aware of their surroundings and can even use a combination of recovery gear efficiently at once to get out of a tricky situation. No matter how long it takes, they have faith that they will overcome the obstacle, one way or the other.
7 Respect For Nature And Trail Etiquette
Off-road adventures are experienced in the heart of nature. So off-road truck drivers respect nature and have trail etiquette and make their best efforts to not harm mother nature. This is because damaging its resources might lead to damaging the off-road trail itself. They follow a designated trail and avoid going off-trail to prevent the wildlife and vegetation of the ecosystem.
Similarly, they also keep the environment clean and avoid littering to preserve the beauty of nature and the trails. Even while driving on trails, they minimize wheel spin and try to go at a steady speed wherever possible so that there isn’t any unnecessary damage to the soil and the vegetation.
8 Be Prepared For Emergencies
Off-road truck drivers are always prepared for emergencies. The necessity of recovery gears and patience during recoveries are always there. But they are also fully aware that there might be any case of emergencies while going off-road due to natural phenomena or even during the recovery processes.
So they also carry a first aid kit, communication devices, food and water, fuel, additional clothes, blankets, and so on. The beds of the trucks are way more practical for storing equipment and provide more cargo space than an off-road SUV. As a result, truck drivers can always carry all the necessary emergency kits and recovery gear to prepare them for any sudden changes in weather conditions or unexpected halts.
9 Embrace Getting Dirty
The trails that the off-road truck drivers go through rarely include blacked-top paved roads. So you rig getting dirty while off-roading is unavoidable as the majority of surfaces include mud, dust, and water. The splashes from these elements of nature don’t encourage cleanliness at all to the truck and the driver, especially during recoveries.
Even if they stop for a quick break, snack, or meal, they are surrounded by nature. The stops usually include camping and barbecues, which typically involves getting dirty. Of course, truck drivers do their best to keep the environment clean. But getting dirty is a part of off-roading and they embrace it.
10 Special Bond Between Driver And Machine
There is a special bond between a driver and a vehicle for every auto enthusiast. But the bond between the driver and machine is quite unique when it comes to off-road truck drivers. They share the sweat of tackling the obstacles together as man and machine. When they overcome an obstacle, they share tears of joy, whereas tears of sorrow are also shared in the need of recovery situations.
Unfortunately, the driver and the vehicle may also share their blood in case of any injuries to the human or damage to the truck. All these beautiful memories and experiences are made along the trail, and the off-road truck drivers do enjoy sharing them with their friends and family.