Due to the significant shortage of drivers, companies are more than willing to increase salaries and offer extra pay for longevity and safety records. A job in the trucking industry can provide you with both financial security and the ability to travel on a regular basis. This type of consistency and flexibility allows you to know beforehand what you will do each day and exactly where you will be working.

Truck driving is without doubt one of the most straining and difficult jobs available today, but it’s also one of the most thrilling and rewarding careers one can pursue. If you’re independent, a bit adventurous, you can drive for hours on end and you work well with people, then considering a career in the trucking industry might just be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.

While this is a job that will never bore you or cease to be unpredictable, it’s important to realize that the lifestyle and work environment of truck driving require an employee who can carry the load and be trustworthy. That being said, if you’re interested in finding out how you can make a profession out of what you love, then keep on reading for some tips on gathering information and experience in the trucking industry.

If you’ve decided that you want to become a commercial driver, then you need to learn more about how to get training and certification. Contrary to popular belief, there’s a lot of instruction and testing that goes into learning how to be a reliable and efficient truck driver. Training programs vary in both length and course consistency, but usually follow the same general guidelines. You can enroll in this type of program at a CDL driving school, which can provide you with one of the 3 types of licenses – class A (enables you to drive most combination and commercial vehicles), class B (for single vehicles) and class C (limited to smaller vehicles).

In addition, a decent CDL driving school will ensure that you have access to theoretical information and useful learning tools, as well as provide you with a medium in which you can practice your driving skills before your examination. If you’re interested in finding out more about the different types of specialized instruction courses available for students and eager drivers, you can browse through our Training Programs section and see which one is best suited for your goals and schedule.

Generally speaking, embarking on a lucrative career involves years and years of study and training. The exorbitant costs and often inflexible schedules can be very difficult to deal with and even leave you with unwanted debts in the future. With truck driving, all the learning and information available is condensed into courses which last up to a month. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on the proficiency of both the instructor and the student.

A competent CDL driving school will offer you expertise when it comes to operating large vehicles, understanding procedures and anticipating unexpected situations. Moreover, you should also have the opportunity to gain firsthand experience with driving (whether in the school’s assigned location or in city driving areas) to prepare you for the CDL examination.

When it comes to payment, the license you own, whether you are an intrastate or interstate driver, as well as the CDL driving school you were affiliated with will all dictate your earnings. As a rookie truck driver, the starting salary is usually somewhere around $30,000. This is a decent amount, considering that you can get both your training and certification in one month’s time or less. In addition, if you have a class A license, you can receive extra benefits and earn up to $40,000 per year.

Once you become a more experienced driver and have more than 5 years under your belt, you’ll see your salary increasing yearly. Either way, in a relatively short period of time you’ll be able to earn a considerable amount, without any need for college degrees or formal education.