No matter what the state of the economy is there is one thing for certain: big corporations need good drivers. Nearly everything you depend on for daily living comes to you after being on the bed of an eighteen–wheeler. Gasoline for your car, dog food, people food, and anything else you can think of was likely moved across this country with a big truck. That makes trucking industry jobs very important. It is one job sector that has not declined over the last few years and from the looks of things will not be declining anytime soon. In fact, trucking company jobs is one of the fastest–growing sectors in terms of opportunity.
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According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, the job growth for trucking industry jobs is expected to stay at a stable 8 percent over the next three years. Add to this figure the massive number of baby boomers who will all be of retirement age soon, and you have a booming industry in spite of the current state of the economy.
How to Get a Trucking Job
If you are thinking about becoming part of the boom by getting a trucking industry job there are a few things you will need to do first. A Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is the first step toward trucking company jobs. You can acquire this license in one of two ways:
Go to an approved training facility such as a technical college and take the approximately five-week course. You will be required to pass the written part of your test and obtain a permit within the first couple of weeks. After that, you will get hands-on experience backing, driving, and serpentine parking your truck and trailer. At the end of the course, the facility or the state police will administer the driving test. Once you have passed the test you will be issued a Class A CDL. You of course will be expected to pay for this course yourself, as well as all the testing, which can cost several-thousand dollars by the time you are done.
Sign up with a major trucking company that is qualified to run their own training. Generally the in-class time is much less than with a technical college, and you will need to get your permit within a matter of days. After that, you will be sent out with another driver for training. Most of the time there is little or no out-of-pocket expense with this type of training; however, you are usually contracted to drive for the company for a set amount of time in exchange for your training.
Both of these methods have pros and cons. The biggest question generally is whether you can afford the training on your own. If so, when you graduate and receive your license, you will not be under contract with a particular company. That can also be a downside, though. It can be tough to break into trucking industry jobs; therefore sometimes a company-sponsored training program, like the one Swift Transportation offers, is best.
Swift is one of the leading trucking companies in the country. The company began in 1966 and has since grown to over forty terminals across the country. Swift employs drivers from all over and has specialized comfort zones for them to choose from. Swift is a leader in training programs and begins a new session every week.
Once you have a CDL, you may find that your options seem limitless. There are some issues to watch for when deciding what trucking company jobs to consider.
Advertisements line truck stops and training facilities; there are entire magazines devoted to trucking company job advertisements. Many will promise you big money, good home time, and many miles. At the same time, they will stress the importance of keeping your logbook up to date and not breaking any Department of Transportation rules or regulations. This is the point where good old-fashioned math comes in handy.
Hours-of-service regulations say you can only drive eleven hours out of fourteen. In that eleven hours you will average about fifty miles per hour, less if you are delivering in big cities. If they are promising you what amounts to 700 miles per day, you can bet you are going to be pushing it to the limit to do that legally. Not only is this not good for you in terms of sleep and legalities, it is also unsafe.
When choosing between trucking company jobs, be sure to ask around from other drivers how the company is taking care of them. It will quickly be apparent if there is a problem. You should use caution when using the Internet for this purpose; no company can satisfy the wants and needs of every person, and there are bound to be a few disgruntled employees whose complaints do not reflect the general conduct of the company.
In the end, choose a company for their compensation plan, benefits, and safety rating. Home time will be a consideration for most people as well, but not everyone. There are a few drivers out there whose home is the truck.
Conclusion
Trucking is here to stay and looks to grow significantly over the next few years. It is a great time to get into trucking industry jobs, as advancement will come quickly when older drivers retire.
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