3 Secrets About Working in the Truck Driving Industry
A truck driving career offers a rewarding, high pay job option without needing to go to college. In fact, it’s estimated that in 2023, there will be a shortage of nearly 97,000 truck drivers in the US alone. That’s a pretty big number.
If you’re considering a career change or are just entering the job market and are looking for a job that’s in extreme demand, consider a position in the trucking industry.
What a Normal Day in a Truck Driving Career Looks Like
Truckers are professionals who become accustomed to strict routines and hitting the road with smiles on their faces. Your routine will look similar, allowing you to know what the day ahead looks like.
Most drivers will have a normal day that looks a lot like this:
- Morning: The alarm goes off and you climb out of your bunk or walk over to the truck after showering at the truck stop or at home. You grab a bite to eat at home or at the truck stop or go into your mini fridge for a healthy snack. Many drivers stock their trucks with food, and some rigs even have microwaves. After you eat, you’ll inspect your rig and check for messages or updates from dispatch. Then you hit the road.
- Afternoon: You’ll pick up a load or head straight out on the road if you’re already loaded. Long miles will lead to the next destination, where you’ll deliver goods. A drop and hook load will mean having to go to security or require someone else to sign the bill of lading and tell you where to drop the trailer. Once the load is finished, dispatch will send you information on the next destination where you’ll pick up your new load.
- Evening: When the day is coming to an end, you’ll find a place to stay at rest areas, truck stops or trucking company facilities. You’ll need to perform a post-trip inspection, fill out any paperwork and then head to dinner.
A lot of your time during the afternoon will include driving and then waiting for the trailer to be unloaded. During the day, you’ll need to take a break, which is often 30 minutes, as this is required after 8 hours of driving at most.
Getting out of the truck to stretch your legs is highly recommended during a break.
How to Enter the Trucking Industry
You can become a truck driver by following the steps below:
- Obtain your regular driver’s license.
- Meet the state’s minimum age requirements. Nationwide, you must be 21 to cross state lines when hauling commercially.
- Enroll in truck driving school, learn to drive a semi-truck and complete your schooling.
- Take and pass your CDL exam to start your truck driving career.
- Pass the FMCSA exam, which will include taking a physical and passing vision and hearing tests.
Once you have your CDL and pass all of your tests from the FMCSA, you can get behind the wheel of a big rig. You’ll want to apply for positions with trucking companies, or if the school was paid for by a trucking company, you likely have a job lined up already.
3 Great Secret Reasons Truck Drivers Love Their Career
1. Get Paid to See the Country
Truck drivers often haul goods for 500+ miles per day. If you choose a non-dedicated route, you may be in a different location around the country every day. Many drivers will put in 2,500 – 3,000 miles per week. Team drivers can drive 6,000 miles a week – enough to go coast-to-coast and back again.
Additionally, you’re paid to travel the country.
If you’re adventurous and don’t envision sitting behind a desk day after day, trucking is one of the best careers out there. And for a little international flavor, you can even find positions that allow you to haul goods into Canada and/or Mexico.
2. Great Pay
One of the best secrets of working in the trucking industry is the great pay. The average truck driver salary in the United States is $77,349 per year.
The top drivers in the industry earn $125,000 or more, while rookies earn $47,000 or more per year.
If you aspire to be your own boss, you can earn $0.94 – $1.79 per mile. That means owner-operators that drive 3,000 miles per week can earn an average of $3,163 per week.
If you’re concerned about home time, you can choose local routes that allow daily home time and still offer great pay. The average local driver earns $0.42 – $0.71 per mile, and more than half of them are home every day.
Regional drivers earn $0.37 – $0.55 per mile, and most are home weekly.
Truckers are in high demand, and that demand is reflected in the high salaries they earn. Whether you want to go OTR and see the country or stay local and get more home time, you can earn a great living as a trucker.
3. Spend Time with Family – Or Bring Them Along
Today, truckers have more options when it comes to family time. Local and regional drivers are often home weekly or daily, allowing them to spend quality time with their loved ones.
But home time isn’t the only way truckers get to spend time with their families. Many carriers have passenger programs, so truckers can bring members of their families along for the ride. From brothers and sisters to wives and husbands, driving with family can make the long hauls a literal home away from home.
The Rewards Are Amazing
Truck drivers who maintain a clean safety record and are punctual will find that the trucking industry offers a career that is rewarding, pays well and allows them to earn a living while seeing the country.
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