What does it take to be a semi truck driver?

You have to be able to learn to drive one - that's the most basic part. There's a lot of stuff you have to be willing to put up with. To list it all would really take a long time to list. If you have the time, I'd suggest you search for a website called "The Truckers Report", and take a look through their forums. A lot of your questions can be answered there.