What You Need to Know Before Becoming a Trucker

Truck driving is one of the most popular jobs in America. The trucking industry is the backbone of many other industries in the country. Transporting goods from one place to another. Truck driving is worthwhile career, it isn’t hard to get started and almost anyone can do it. There are some downsides when it comes to trucking but millions of Americans make it work for them. Here is what you need to know about commercial trucking.

Firstly do some research about commercial trucking in your area. The salaries of truck drivers vary from company to company as well as experience. There are different fields of trucking that can also affect salary. For example transporting dangerous materials such as, chemicals, or gas. These things can cost more to transport and require a higher level of experience. The longer you work, and garner experience the higher your pay will be.

There are some serious upsides of trucking driving. It is a career that you can get into quickly when compared to other jobs. While there is some schooling involved with truck driving, it is much shorter than careers with similar starting pay. There are also solid benefits for the majority of commercial truck drivers. Of course, there is some downsides, however. There is a lot of pressure to deliver your load on time. This means you could be spending an average of 12 hours on the road or more. Commercial truck driving is also very time intensive. Upwards of 300 days a year you will be on the road away from your home. There is a lot of alone time, and the career can feel isolating for some. But trucking is one of the most flexible jobs there is. It doesn’t matter how the cargo gets there, as long as it gets to its destination on time and undamaged. This allows for a lot of freedom when it comes to when to work, and how long you want to work.

If you choose to work with a company, when first starting pretty much everyone does, you will be renting a rig. You will have to apply for some type of trucker insurance chicago il. It can be difficult for newer drivers to find insurance. Likewise, it can be hard to find insurance for high risk loads. There are some requirements that need to be met in order to qualify for commercial trucking. You must be at least 21 and have a clean driving record. Also plan on attending school for a while. Your courses will cost money and you should expect around a year of schooling before being ready to pass the CDL exam. After the CDL exam you must be able to pass the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exam.

Truck driving can be a worthwhile career option. The requirements are minimal and almost anyone can qualify. There are some hurdles to climb as with any job, but if you can overcome those things there are real career options available. Talking to veteran truck drivers can be beneficial. They can help give more perspective on what being a truck driver is day to day.