According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), truck driving as a career is here to stay. The job growth outlook over the next decade shows a 5 percent projected growth with an average hourly pay of just under $20 per hour.
But truck driving isn’t a good career choice for everyone. It is definitely a lifestyle choice, especially for those who drive the major cross-country routes that can take them away from home and family for weeks at a time. In this post, learn about the benefits of being a truck driver so you can decide if this is the right career for you.
What You Need to Become a Truck Driver
You don’t have to go to college to earn a good living as a truck driver. But you do need to have a high school diploma. And you do need to attend truck driving school to learn the basics of driving a big truck. You will also need to get your CDL (commercial drivers license) so you can operate big trucks legally.
Once you get a job as a truck driver, typically you also will have to complete a short stint of on-the-job training so you can learn how your employer wants things to be done. Once you have completed each of these requirements you can get right to work driving a truck and getting paid.
Major Benefits of Being a Truck Driver
If you polled every truck driver working today, you might discover each one has their own list of favorite job benefits. But for general purposes, these are some of the major benefits most professional truck drivers cite as reasons why they chose their truck driving career.
- The chance to travel and see the world. How much travel you do will be a function of who you work for and what route you choose. You can also carve out some extra time mid-route to see new places when your schedule permits it. But since truck driving is a profession that is in-demand nationwide, you always have the option to change employers or routes and experience a different part of the country during your career.
- Stable employment and job security. Because truck drivers are needed more than ever as the population grows and demand for products increases, you will enjoy stable employment and a variety of options over the long term.
- Good pay and benefits. With an hourly wage near $20 and full-time average salary of $40,000+, you can look forward to earning good pay for the work you do. If you work full-time, you will enjoy a host of benefits as well. And since you will be on the road most of the time, you can keep your at-home expenses lower and save money for retirement. Many employers also offer bonuses for a good safety record, a fuel economy bonus, or a term of service bonus, and these bonuses can put extra cash in your pocket.
- Meeting new people. You will be out and about on the road for your job, so you will be able to meet new people every day during your career.
- Independence from “the cubicle life.” For many people, the idea of sitting in a cubicle all day feels a lot like getting sent to jail. But as a truck driver, your view will always be changing. You will have an independence and freedom that no office worker ever gets when you are driving your truck from place to place along your route.
- Road time to learn new things. Whether you enjoy listening to audio books, practicing a second language, listening to music or something else, driving a truck will give you plenty of time to listen and learn as you work.
- Trucking can be great exercise. Depending on your load requirements, trucking can be great exercise as you load and unload your truck. You can stay fit and active in between each leg of your route.
How to Decide if Truck Driving is for You
One of the best ways to decide if truck driving is for you is to talk with professionals who are currently working in the field. You can ask them about their experiences and maybe even catch a ride on a short route to experience life as a truck driver first hand.
Visiting a truck driving school to learn about the curriculum and training can be an equally good way to decide if driving a truck is a good fit for your personality and interests. By reading about truck driving and talking to working professional truck drivers, you can gather the information you need to make your career decision.