October 2019

Over-the-Road Trucking

Instead of making deliveries locally, an OTR driver is responsible for transporting shipments over longer distances across the country. Usually, all you need to get an OTR job is a high school diploma (or GED) and your CDL license. You will be responsible for moving all sorts of cargo, such as food items, mechanical equipment.

Some OTR drivers can set their own schedules, but if your delivery is time-sensitive, you may have to adhere to a deadline. The maximum an OTR driver is allowed to work is 70 hours over eight days. After this, they are required to take at least 34 hours off. This means that you’ll likely be driving for up to 11 hours a day. Additionally, most OTR truckers spend up to 300 days a year making deliveries.

Benefits of OTR Trucking

The life of an OTR trucker isn’t for everyone since it requires you to be away from home for long periods of time. However, it’s still a very rewarding profession. OTR truckers enjoy:

High pay. OTR truckers can earn an average of $53,916 during their first year of trucking, and this number will rise as they gain more experience.

Sightseeing. Since OTR truckers do a lot of interstate driving, you’ll be able to see a lot of scenery from each of the beautiful states.

Alone time. If you value your private time or see yourself as an introvert, being an OTR trucker may align perfectly with your personality.

Is over-the-road trucking for you? Contact us today to get started on obtaining your CDL license. We offer flexible class schedules, as well as job placement and tuition assistance.

Updated April 2022

Obtaining your CDL can open many different career doors for you. Each comes with different hours, amount of driving time, the magnitude of physical labor, and differing amounts of training. How do you know which is right for you with all the other job options out there? Here are some examples of career paths you can take once you have your CDL to give you a feel for each career.

Truck Driving

The trucking industry is booming, with an estimated 3.5 million professional truck drivers. This career path offers abundant travel, lots of time on the road, and job security, knowing how important the transportation of goods is for our nation’s economy. Truck drivers are also getting more driving opportunities to drive regional and local routes. This increase is due to drivers wanting more home time and better driving routes.

Bus Driving

Apart from transporting goods, transporting people from place to place is another option after tackling CDL training. Bus driving is a great job option for any driver who wants to be around people during the job and have a regular route to drive. Bus drivers have the luxury of putting down roots and not traveling for as long a period as truck drivers. Career options include driving school buses, city buses, chartered buses, shuttle buses, and more. You can also choose to work for either a municipality or a business.

Road Construction

Construction requires huge vehicles like skid steers, dump trucks, cranes, and steamrollers, many of which require CDL training to operate. If you prefer seasonal work that is more labor-intensive, look into a career in construction.

Engineering Equipment Operations

Like road construction, city engineering projects need people to operate heavy machinery like cranes, pump trucks, and trash compactors. These projects can include creating manufactured lakes and reservoirs to building bridges over rivers.

Delivery Drivers

A CDL is often required for delivery services. Like the trucking industry, delivery drivers deliver goods like furniture and medical equipment to people’s homes or businesses but don’t require the same number of hours on the road.

Whatever career path you decide to take after your CDL training, know that DriveCo is the place to start.

New drivers can find many options in which to use their CDLs. The industry is changing and needs fresh drivers to fill several roles.

Month: October 2019