Becoming A Man's Man: The 5 Manliest Jobs To Experience Life At Its Fullest

Though the world may seem like it is softening in its views of many things, there still remain jobs that require a man’s man to do. These jobs are not only strenuous, they force the workers to experience life at extremes. From deep sea exploits to aerial feats, these jobs give new meaning to the word “manly.”

1. Truck Driver

As seen across highways everywhere, the truck driver is an individual that transports goods via the roadways of our various countries. Within this role are truckers that own their own trucks and lease them out, those that drive trucks for a specific company, and drivers that have small fleets sometimes as large as 10 trucks. Across the world, work time restrictions vary, however, there are laws in place to ensure the drivers are rested well enough to drive their cargo safely. The US limits cumulative driving hours to 11 in a 14 hour period followed by a 10 hour rest. Depending on the cargo, the truckers may drive vehicles weight upwards of 80,000 pounds across varying landscapes. Though only legal certification is a CDL which can be obtained by any driving school like North Shore Driving School Ltd.

2. Deep Sea Fisherman

Hauling in the sea food we love to eat, deep sea fisherman take boats out to the deeper seas of the Atlantic and Pacific to bring in a variety of the larger fish no accessible close to shore. Along with operating cranes, sewing up torn nets, and navigating open ocean, the boat is subject to any and all poor weather conditions. Fishermen must be trained in first aid, marine refrigeration, and diesel engine troubleshooting as there will be no one to call in for help if things go wrong. Being out at sea can vary from 20 to over 100 day trips.

3. Smokejumper

Firefighters are seen as manly, but the little known smokejumper takes fire control to an extreme. Self-sufficient firefighters parachute into a danger zone and begin the hard work of containing the fire. First begun in 1939, it is a job that continues to this day. Materials are dropped by parachute to the smokejumpers on the ground that contain enough material to keep them going for 48 hours. Because it is extremely hazardous, smokejumpers must have extensive experience combating land fires, be skilled in the tools of the trade, and possess strong emotional and mental stability.

4. Underwater Welder

From deep sea pipes to ship hulls, these welders of the deep start out by earning their certification as a welder and a diver. Unlike the dry hyperbaric welding, underwater welding runs far more risks as it combines water and electricity. Because of the risk of electric shock, the equipment is adapted to underwater usage. Also, these divers face a high risk of decompression sickness, but some would consider the possible yearly payoff of $100,000 worth it.

5. Lumberjack

Though often teased and parodied by comedians, lumberjacks lead a life of hard labor, long hours, and isolation. With the advent of modern technology, the days of felling trees solely by axes is now gone replace by chainsaws, harvesters, and feller bunchers. This speeds up the process but still does not decrease the “pure danger” mentioned by The Wall Street Journal in 2004. And if the basic job of lumberjacking ever gets boring, there is the Lumberjack World Championship held annually in Hayward, Wisconsin to determine the best lumberjack in the world.

Whether you enjoy the fresh air of the outdoors or just can’t leave the sea, there are jobs out there that truly test your will by pushing you to the extremes of living. Often higher risk, successful runs of these jobs leave you stronger and hardened to the trivial fears that most humans never overcome.