One of the keys to having an enjoyable career is doing something you love. Some people enjoy sitting at a desk and crunching numbers. Others prefer to work in sales and interact with people all the time. For those who love travel and independence, life as a trucker is a rewarding option.
A Career that Delivers
Another factor in pursuing a rewarding career is being in a field where your expertise and capabilities are in demand. People in industries in decline find a lack of potential for compensation and opportunities for advancement. For those in the trucking industry, the opposite situation exists.
Even before the onset of the current pandemic, there was a national shortage of truck drivers. That demand for new drivers has grown. This is creating an increasing number of attractive opportunities for both experienced drivers and those just starting out.
According to Commercial Carrier Journal, the current situation is also fueled by other aspects. More than 80,000 drivers have left the industry recently due to retirement and other factors. New regulations that make the roads safer have disqualified more than 40,000 drivers thanks to new testing requirements. A dramatic increase in online shopping and home delivery is also driving demand for more trained truck drivers.
These pressures are continuing an upward trend in compensation that started several years ago. Today, even an entry-level driver can earn up to $40,000 a year. That is higher than the averages for beginning accountants after years of school and training. Experience can quickly move you into an earning bracket of $65,000, and more than $85,000 annually after moving into the experienced ranks. This compensation equals or exceeds that of many other careers, such as sales and even nurses.
Trucking in Many Different Flavors
As the technology of trucks and driving has evolved, so has the career of a trucker. Many people have a vision of driving trucks as a rough and tumble existence with hard-to-maneuver behemoths. While some of that is based on real issues from the early start of trucking, today’s world is radically different for drivers.
Technology has made these trucks easy to drive for men and women, opening doors for individuals and married couples. Advances have made driving easier and safer with backup cameras, sensors, self-parking features, traffic flow assistance, and power steering and braking. Other factors, such as electronic pay and state-of-the-art truck stops make the details of trucking easier than ever.
A great advantage of the trucking life is the ability to choose the type of experience you want to enjoy. You can drive locally and be home every night or choose the open road and be in a different state every day. Likewise, you can work for a company as an employee or own your own rig and choose when and where you will work and drive. This freedom also allows you to approach trucking from different perspectives at different stages of your life. With young children, you can drive locally. Then, as an empty nester, you can pursue other options. The important thing is you are adding experience to your resume, making your skills worth more in the marketplace.
Oh, and about those automatic trucks you hear about. They are coming, but it is decades before they will become dominant factors. Forecasts indicate those who will see the roads full of automated trucks have not been born yet.
If you are an experienced driver or simply seeking more information about this challenging and rewarding career, check out the information we provide at Road Scholar Transport. You’ll find more than a job in the trucking industry.
