Trucking may be a kind of profession, but in reality, it’s a different way of life. Truckers are a different breed of people. Their ways of working and living are disparate. By being masters of their trucks and masters on the road, truck drivers are free-willed and cowboy-like.
Trucking can be a comfortable profession for someone, passionate job for someone else and a difficult challenge to others. It depends on you and your lifestyle choice to like or dislike the trucking industry and the jobs it offers.
If you are looking up to truck driving as a potential career option, you seem to be taking big steps to a successful future. Without much ado, let’s take a look at the top 10 perks of being a truck driver…
1. Rising Demand and Limited Supply
With a lot of baby boomers now retiring, and most millennials getting into white collar jobs, there is a shortage of truck drivers in the United States.
“According to the American Trucking Associations, by the end of 2018, the trucker shortage is expected to surpass 63,000 drivers — a number that would swell to more than 174,000 by 2026 if trends hold.”
The US Trucking Industry is witnessing immense growth. With the vigorous economic growth since 2016, consumer confidence has rapidly increased. This has led to a massive increase in the national consumption and hence more goods need to be shipped. For more truck loads, the country needs more truck drivers but the demographics of the country are not favoring that requirement.
Truck drivers drive the economy forward with each truck load that they haul. As trucks move two-thirds of all freight moved across the nation, truck drivers play a very important role in America’s progress.
2. Well Paying Job
With the number of truck drivers receding, trucking companies have made the truck driving jobs highly lucrative by increasing the annual wages and adding incentives.
“FreightWaves notes that the average trucker today (including those driving smaller loads and local routes) makes $41,000 a year”
With the national average annual wages ranging between $35,000 and $45,000, truck driving jobs make a good career option. Truckers can make good money if they have clean and good working record, a Class A Commercial Driving License and the drive to haul difficult loads for long hauls.
“The American Trucking Associations found out that truckload drivers working national, irregular routes averaged $53,000 in 2017, a rise of $7,000, from 2013, while private fleet drivers earned more than $86,000, up $13,000 in four years.”
3. Freedom
Truck drivers are their own boss on the road. Truckers are self-driven people who spend most of their time alone, driving on the road. Though there are some crucial responsibilities of a truck driver like corresponding with the employer, warehouse and customer and keeping deadlines, a lot of flexibility comes with the job.
A trucker in the modern times is termed as a “Cowboy of the Highway”. He heads his cowherd (the truck load) with pride, confidence and responsibility from one place to another on the fields (highways). He has no boss to bother him on the road. Unlike most jobs, a truck driver has no protocols to follow, no dress codes to adhere to, no need to co-ordinate with colleagues, no need to work in teams. He has the freedom to choose his moods, his own routes, his own music and his own approach to get his job done.
Systemized traffic and perfectly planned, constructed and managed road network of the United States offers a peaceful state of mind to all drivers. This gives professional truck drivers a lot of time to reflect and introspect in their long periods of solidarity while driving on the national roads.
The essence of driving is peaceful and provides a feeling of tranquility. If you crave independence and liberation from from daily life and schedules, truck driving is the job for you.
4. Stability and Security
In the foreseeable future, goods will be shipped across the nation every day. There is no way the trucking industry is under any threat of extinction in the coming couple decades. There is going to be constant requirement of able, reliable and hard-working truck drivers to haul loads from one place to another to keep the economy moving. Truck drivers are literally wheels of any economy as they keep the economy moving with every truckload that they haul.
Insufficient availability of truck drivers has forced trucking companies and shipping companies to increase the annual credits, bonuses and financial benefits for truck drivers. Truck drivers with a Class A CDL and a clean driving record are a true asset to the nation and they are awarded for that. Some companies even award annual bonuses worth up to half a driver’s annual pay for a clean driving record and excellent performance.
“The National Transportation Institute found that carriers seeking drivers in last year’s fourth quarter increased their cents-per-mile rate an average of 2.9 cents and upped sign-on bonuses more than 300%.”
5. Paid Travel and Adventure
USA is a beautiful God’s country. To drive all across the bountiful terrain of America is every individual’s dream. Truck drivers get paid to drive on the immaculate highways and to explore new destinations all the time. They not only get paid for their travel, but also get paid vacations to unwind after long huals. If you love to travel and driving is one of your passionate interests, then a trucker’s job is the perfect fit for you.
For a truck driver, every day is another day in paradise. Every day is different. With different roads, different routes, different cities, different people, different weather, different terrain, different views and different stops all the time, a truck driver’s life becomes super exciting and happening. High adrenaline rush adds to the spark of adventure even more when a trucker gets paid for his travel.
There is an added benefit here.. Travel plans generally include lodging, fuel and vehicle maintenance costs. But in the trucking profession, the employer pays for all of those expenses.
6. Easy Short Term Training
There is no need for a college degree in this profession. Each state has different eligibility requirements, but mostly the minimum age to apply for a Commercial Driving License is 21 years.
It’s important to look for the training school with the best quality training. Your choice of a good CDL School increases your chances of successfully getting a CDL on your first try.
Depending on what CDL School you choose and what category of CDL you are applying for, the cost of a good CDL Training can cost anywhere between $4,000 and $8,000.
The procedure for getting your CDL mainly includes choosing the right category of CDL, submitting the CDL application along with the required documents at your local DMV, passing the written knowledge test for a CDL permit, starting a TSA background check process, practicing with a supervising driver and completing any required training.
On an average, it takes about seven to eight weeks to get a Class A CDL. Compared to the trainings required for other professions, the training for becoming a truck driver is pretty easy. With an easy certification, truck drivers are permitted to drive different types of trucks and on longer larger roads.
The job of a truck driver comes with a big responsibility of taking care of the truck and the cargo. Therefore, truck drivers with a Class A CDL and good driving record are trusted more and paid better by trucking companies. Some trucking companies even pay for the CDL training to secure a trust-based relationship with the truck drivers.
7. Wide-Open Career Path
The trucking industry is huge and there are multiple perspectives to look at it and get involved with it. Just like there are different categories of truck drivers (based on where they drive, how trained they are, what loads they move, and what kind of driving record they have), there are different jobs one can look forward to in the trucking world.
With enough experience with trucks and cargo, you can buy your own truck and start your owner-operator trucking business. To scale it even further, you can buy more trucks and hire truck drivers and start your own trucking or shipping company.
Another job opportunity is in the field of training. You can become an instructor at a CDL Training School or start your own CDL School. It’s a stable well-paying business as there will always be a high demand for good quality truck drivers, and a high demand for good CDL Training Schools for training them.
8. Masculine Job
Being a truck driver requires a strong sense of responsibility. Along with the sole responsibility of the truck and the cargo, truck drivers also have to be careful about the government trucking laws, permits and DOT regulations. They must have complete paperwork and records about the truckload, financial expenses (like fuel and repairs), insurances, licenses and permits.
Truck drivers have to stay in constant touch with the employer and customer, and follow deadlines. Delivering the load safely and on time requires high stress enduring power and thus, trucking job is not for the weak-minded.
A truck driver always has to be “The Braveheart” and face the innumerable challenges that the accident-prone roads, changing weather conditions, truck and trailer repair and maintenance, and change in schedules and deadlines put forth.
Clearly, the truck driving job is not for the weak and cowardly. It’s a masculine job and requires boldness as well as patience, along with other things.
9. No Physical Strain
People from the construction industry know well about physical strain. If you are not the one who can work in a quarry, and you dislike the idea of taking up a physically straining job, truck driving is a good career option for you.
Driving on the road can be very tiring for the mind, but not that much for the body. Truck drivers who drive for long distances spend about 10-12 hours of each day sitting behind the steering wheel of their truck. Though truck driving can be really tiring, considering the long hours of non-stop driving, it does not take a toll on the trucker’s body.
10. Build Your Nest Egg
Truck drivers who haul difficult loads and/or drive on international roads are paid significantly more. Some of the difficult loads that truckers are highly paid to haul are:
- Flatbeds: Loads like airplanes, military equipment, scaffolding
- Tankers: Fluids like milk, fuel, chemicals, highly explosive gases
- Oversized Loads: Loads that are large in size and weight, like houses
- Auto Haulers: Vehicles
- Hoppers: Grain
- Bull Haulers: Livestock
- Reefer trailer: Refrigerated Goods
Some truck drivers are also highly paid due to their clean records, loyalty and trust. With a perching problem of shortage of truck drivers in the country, trucking companies are doing everything they can for retention of their best trained drivers. Trucking companies go all the way to offering health insurance, life insurance, paid vacations, amenities in the truck, etc.
“These are good times for any truck driver to build his nest egg”
Right now the market is in favor of truck drivers. A surge in economic growth requires more trucks to move truckloads, and more truck drivers to drive those trucks. If you are a highly trained responsible truck driver with a clean driving record, you can demand a lot in terms of pay, benefits and compensation.