“Why become a truck driver?” We’ve been asked this question a million times, and the answer is simple….to gain your independence! As a trucker, you can find a rewarding job that cannot be outsourced. These are very significant reasons to both men and women who have seen a lot of changes since the COVID outbreak. They have witnessed layoffs due to businesses closing. During the entire epidemic, the trucking industry grew due to higher demands for goods. We all saw the supply chain get challenged to keep shelves filled. This means jobs, more jobs.
The pandemic has lessened slightly, but the need for goods has not slowed, causing more driving jobs to be available to men and women across the country. The effect of this stressor on the supply chain is for all companies to raise pay rates making this the best time in history to become a trucker. Last year, pay for truck drivers increased by double digits. That’s right, the American Trucking Association recently released its annual salary survey that found driver pay increased by 11% in 2021. Add that to the 7% increase in 2020 and in the last two years, truck drivers have seen an 18% increase. Not to mention added bonuses and benefits to attract new employees. According to the ATA more than half of companies are offering some form of sign-on bonus, with bonuses ranging from $1,000 all the way up to $10,000!
If you search online for trucking jobs, you’ll quickly see most companies offering anywhere from $69,000 to over $185,000 for drivers to join their company.
What that means for you is the opportunity to join the industry with a high five or six-figure potential as a new driver. To put that into perspective, most lawyers come out of law school with over a hundred thousand in school debt with a national average pay for first year lawyers of $65,000. You can come out of school with little or no debt and higher earning potential. Students planning to attend CDL school can often get federal funding or corporate sponsorship to pay for most or all their education. Either one of these options would mean that you would start making money in as little as three weeks with no debt to repay.
If these reasons to become a trucker are not enough, then consider the lifestyle. Drivers often get to pick their schedules. They no longer live by strict guidelines of “lunch times” and “breaks”; they mainly set their schedules on the road. You will choose when you eat and when you take a break. This freedom is what most people are looking for in life but never thought that they could achieve. But now you can! Join the industry where we love what we do and have the freedom to do it.
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*Pay information based on ATA Compensation Study.