Truckers Junction

As with starting any new career, truck driving brings about many concerns for new drivers and even experienced drivers switching companies. The following are some common concerns of anyone coming into the truck driving field:

1. What qualifications do I need to become a truck driver?

The main concern that most driving companies have is with your Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) and your criminal history. One of the best ways to prepare for a truck driving job is to keep these two reports clean and free of multiple tickets, accidents, DUI’s , misdemeanors and felonies. Education level is not extensively looked in hiring a new truck driver. It is important, however to make sure and keep stable jobs previous to applying for a trucking position, a strong employment history can take you a long way.

Most companies, such as Swift Transportation, do not require you to have your Class A drivers license before you begin their training program. Various training programs are available through the companies depending on your skill and experience and most companies are willing to work with whatever qualifications you currently have when you apply.

1. How do I begin the process of applying for truck driving jobs?

When you first start exploring different companies it is important to do research on pay, benefits, mileage, home time, training length, and equipment. If you figure out what you want in a company previous to applying for the job, it will cut down your time filling out applications that don’t necessarily apply to you and your needs.

Once you have outlined your expectations, one of the best ways to begin searching for companies is through the internet. Company websites, application websites, driver’s blogs and driving forums are great resources to find out what a company is offering and if they live up to their word once you’re hired. After you have researched companies you can begin to apply for as many companies that you’d like, however it is important to keep a history of where you applied to and who might be contacting you. One of the best ways to get a job is to be courteous with any recruiter contacting you. They are giving you a job opportunity and it is important to act as professional as possible during the entire process.

1. What if I can’t do over-the-road (OTR) driving and need more home time?

It is important to be as flexible as possible when starting a new truck driving job. Trucking is an industry that is constantly moving, it is not a 9am-5pm job that ends each night and begins each morning; there are always trucks moving on the road, 24 hours a day. If you are worried that you will not receive enough home time then you should try looking for local, smaller companies that don’t do national business and therefore don’t travel through as many states, keeping you closer to home with more opportunities for home time.

 With most national companies such as Swift, JB Hunt, CR England, and so on, it is harder to get drivers into local and dedicated positions right from the beginning. Most companies reserve those runs for drivers who are already working with them and have put in the time to earn those jobs. This is why it is important to be flexible. The more days you put in driving at the beginning, the more likely it is that you will move into a local position quicker.

1. I’ve heard that the trucking industry often goes on strike and that it also slows down when the economy is not doing so well, should this influence my decision of a career change?

As with any major industry, a truck driving job will be affected by the economy and what is going on in other industries around the country. When the economy slows, most businesses do also, but there is always a demand for goods which in turn causes a demand for drivers to bring those goods to the stores. Strikes happen often in truck driving as with any other industry that has unions. Depending on which company you choose that company may have a union or may have policies against them. The best way to find information is to ask the specific companies.

1. How much money does it cost to start driving trucks?

Depending on the company the costs vary. With larger companies, they have programs where you can earn your Class A license through the company on a tuition reimbursement plan. Most companies will offer to pay for your tuition (ranging from $3,000-$5,000) to attend their private school to earn your CDL in return for you driving with that company for a set period of time. Most of the contracts are flexible and pro-rated to where if you leave before your contract is up; you just need to pay the remaining balance of the tuition fees.

Besides the tuition, it is smart to expect that you will need about $100-$300 to go to these driving schools depending on where you live. If you have to travel out of your home state to go to a school you will most likely need to pay for your food and possibly your boarding and transportation. If you obtain your license locally most companies do have seating fees ranging from $50-$150.

The two most important things to remember when searching for a truck driving job are to be courteous and to be flexible. If you apply these two attributes to your job search it will be much easier to get information on the jobs out there and also to be hired on by a new company.