February 2019

You know you are joining the right job when the people who have been doing it a long time still seem to really enjoy their work. The same is true in the trucking industry. You’ll hear road warriors telling stories of the places they’ve been and the things they’ve accomplished with a sense of great pride. They have done and seen incredible things through their careers in trucking. Here are 5 things you can look forward to in your new career on the road!

Travel

There are very few careers with the opportunity to see every state in the continental United States. But most experienced over-the-road drivers have the chance to be everywhere from Tampa, Seattle, Boston, and LA. They’ve seen the sun dropping behind the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachians, and the deserts, and watched it rise over rivers, fields, and forests.

Training Opportunities

Respect comes with experience in the trucking industry. Experienced drivers are given the opportunity to train new drivers. The chance to pass along their skill to another generation of drivers and the responsibility for helping someone start their own career is highly rewarding. The added pay and miles are rewarding too!

Better Pay and Benefits

You become highly valuable as you gain skills and experience in trucking. Truck drivers are always in high demand, and skilled drivers are even more rare to find. Safe and experienced drivers are wanted by trucking companies everywhere. With the right amount of research, you will find a great place where you can build relationships and receive good pay and benefits. This is a huge perk of being an experienced truck driver.

Pride in your job

Trucking can sometimes be a challenging industry to be in. It tests your patience, requires skill, courage, and good sense. As you gain experience, you get the reward of knowing you have accomplished something challenging. Just the size of the rig can be intimidating, but experienced drivers start to feel the truck as an extension of themselves. Taking an 18-wheeler with a heavy load over a mountain pass, backing into shipping docks in different places, and doing it all with a badge of safety deserves applause. It’s certainly something to be proud of.

Relationships

If you get in the right place, trucking is a community. It provides you with a place to meet different people and build lasting relationships. Drivers meet a lot of new people along the way including dispatchers, managers, fellow drivers, customers, and mechanics. It’s a great career for meeting new people and building great relationships.

Becoming an experienced truck driver starts with the right CDL training. DriveCo CDL Learning Center can get you trained and ready for your new career in trucking in just 4 weeks! Contact us today to learn more!

Updated July 2021

As you consider starting a new career in trucking, income is an important factor to think about. Exactly how much money can you expect to earn in your first year as a driver? How much will your salary increase throughout your career as you gain experience? What benefits can you expect to receive in the trucking industry? Find answers to all your questions so you’re prepared for your new career! Understanding your options will give you realistic expectations going into the field.

What is the Average Salary of a Truck Driver?

It is a very common practice in the trucking industry for new truck drivers to spend their first year as over-the-road (OTR) drivers. This helps them gain valuable experience in the field, opening doors to new job opportunities. A new OTR driver can expect to earn about $58,000 annual salary starting out. The average pay per hour for a new truck driver breaks down to be about $28 per hour.

The nice thing about trucking is that your salary can steadily increase as you gain more driving experience. Drivers can quickly reach $65,000+ annual salary after they’ve spent some time behind the wheel. There are also opportunities within the industry to earn even more in executive positions. You may be able to make more than $100,000+ in select positions as a fleet manager or another company leader.

How Often Do You Get to Go Home?

Since it is common for first-year truck drivers to work in OTR positions, new drivers should expect to spend a lot of time away from home when they’re just starting out. In an OTR job, you’re going to be out on the road for about 4-5 weeks at a time, coming home for about a week in between routes to recuperate. While OTR drivers are away from home a lot, many companies will do their best to work with you if you request to be home for specific dates ahead of time.

Home time will vary depending on where you work and your level of experience. As a more experienced driver, your job options will be wide open. You may find a company that rarely requires you to spend time away from home. Whether it be short 2-3 day trips with home time in between or a local driving job that allows you to be home nightly, there are plenty of options available.

What Benefits Do Truck Drivers Get?

In addition to a high salary potential, becoming a truck driver also comes along with a host of other benefits. Truck drivers get some of the best benefits packages when compared to other professions today. In an industry where many companies have cut or even eliminated most benefits to save money, most carriers still offer good benefits to encourage people to get into the trucking industry.

A few of these benefits include:

Financial bonus incentives for meeting performance milestones
Sign-on Bonuses
Reimbursement for CDL training
401(k) investments with carrier match
Complete Healthcare Coverage (including Dental, Medical, and Vision coverage)
Paid vacation time

A great starting salary and a valuable benefits package allow you to make a good living in a job with high demand. There are currently about ~52,000 job openings throughout the US. Additionally, the industry is predicted to grow at a steady 2.5% per year for the next few years as even more jobs return and the economy moves on from the pandemic. Demand has never been higher! The time to join trucking is now!

Post-Covid Trucking Industry

The trucking industry has an added step before it can begin to recover from its driver shortage, that being CDL training. Many potential drivers need to be able to make money as soon as possible and don’t have time to go through the CDL training process. To try and draw in many new drivers, companies have added additional benefits that make going through training worth the time that drivers could be spending doing other jobs. Some of these benefits include:

Increased pay to attract new drivers
More payable hours (Loading/Unloading, waiting hours… etc)
Truck drivers have gained more appreciation for the work they do.
Carriers have made the investment to prioritize safety and quality of life for professional truck drivers.
Adoption of new policies to improve training

These are just some of the changes that are being made in the trucking industry to try and recover in a post-Covid world.

Ready to take the first step towards your new career in trucking? DriveCo CDL Learning Center can get you trained and ready for your new career in just 4 weeks! For further information on truck driving and getting your CDL, please feel free to contact us!

Going on the road for the first time as an over-the-road truck driver can be a breeze with proper preparation. If you’re preparing to go on the road for the first time, or are considering trucking as your career choice, here are some steps you can take to ensure that you’re ready to hit the road!

Stay in Touch with Loved Ones

The biggest downside to life on the road is that you’ll have to spend time away from your family and friends. Creating a communication plan can help you stay in touch while you’re on the road. Before heading out on your first trip, there are a few things you’ll want to do to establish a communication plan with your loved ones.

It may seem obvious, but it’s critical to make sure you have a good cellphone. Your phone will be the main source of communication you have. Phones capable of video calling, that are Wi-fi capable, and that have a good network will help you keep up with your loved ones. Be sure to also keep a written list of your family and friend’s phone numbers, just in case. Let your family members know what to expect, and form a plan to keep in contact with them.

Make Your Health a Top Priority

It can be tempting to eat the easiest things you can find at rest stops. However, you’ll benefit greatly by planning ahead with healthier options. As you prepare to hit the road, make sure you sit down with a doctor or nutritionist to come up with a game plan so your health is not impacted. In addition to eating right, there are a few other preparations you can make to stay healthy on the road.

Establishing a sleep routine you can follow on the road will help ensure you’re alert for the whole route. If possible, study the routes you’re going to take ahead of time, so you can plan ahead. Find a few good audiobooks or podcasts to listen to during your journey. Download them in advance if possible to save data on your phone. Listening to audiobooks or podcasts is an easy way to stay entertained and engaged, which will aid in your mental health!

Stock Up On Essential Equipment

Part of preparing for your new career as a truck driver is making sure you have essential supplies you’ll need on the road. There are several tools and equipment that can help will make things easier. We’ve created a checklist of a few essential items you’ll want to make sure you have. You can download the new driver checklist here!

A few of these essential items include a portable toilet, spare sunglasses, and a drinking water supply. While it may seem silly, having a portable toilet will be a lifesaver if a restroom is not easily accessible. You’ll be so glad you packed a pair of spare sunglasses when you’ve lost your favorite pair and the sun is glaring in your eyes. A large water jug will come in handy when your water bottle runs dry in the middle of the night and you don’t feel like leaving your cabin. Be sure you’re fully prepared for the journey ahead with our new driver checklist!

Many trucking companies will supply new drivers the basics they’ll need. However, planning ahead and bringing additional supplies will ensure your safety and comfort on the road. If you want to know more about getting started in your new career, contact us! The professionals at DriveCo CDL Learning Center are here to help you succeed.