If you are looking for a career that pays well and often has great benefits, then finding a truck driver job might be the best thing you could ever do.  Truck driving jobs are often readily available and are almost recession proof.  Of course costs of shipping and product is affected by recessions, but truck driving jobs are still available and ready for the picking.  A lot of people who are looking for a truck driver job often wonder what they can expect as far as job duties go.  We would like to help shed some light on this subject.

First of all there are many different types of truck driving jobs and depending on the type of industry you go into you will find different job duties and responsibilities.  We have broken down the different type of truck driving jobs into three main categories.

1. A Solo Owner Operator is a truck driver who owns his or her own truck and drives all by themselves.  Often trucking companies who are looking for additions drivers will contract with these types of freelance drivers.  This type of job usually is for the trucker who has a lot of driving experience and have been able to acquire their own truck over the years.  Sometimes these solo owner operator’s have their own driving team that contract out the truck to other companies that are in need of drivers.
2. A Solo Company Driver is for the new truck driver that has been driving for 6 months to a year.  You would be considered a company driver if you don’t own the truck but you drive alone.
3. A Team Company Driver is a truck driver who does not own a truck but works for a company and with a team.  This means the trucks are shared between the drivers and you never drive alone.  This is a great option for husband and wife team, or working with a good buddy.  This type of driver is in HIGH demand and many trucking companies will pay alot more for team driving.

Even though there are different catagories of truck driver jobs you can still expect certain things in each category.  Anyone can become a truck driver but you must not be a felon, alcaholic, or drug abuser.  Every beginning truck driver can expect to have to find a trucking school that will certify them and help them earn their CDL license.  Many trucking companies looking for new drivers will help you to pay for this training school.  There is a total of 148 hours minimum and 178 hours maximum of schooling you must attend and pass.

Also new truck drivers should get ready to expect is having to get a DOT physical.  This requirement ensures that you are healthy and physically fit to be a truck driver.  Once you have these things out of the way you can expect to make some serious money and see some beautiful country.

To learn more about salary and pay scales, please refer to our income pages.

Truck driving is one of those jobs that often draws mixed emotions from drivers.   For some, these big rigs are the bane of their existence.  Truck driving is a very stable career that is growing tremendously.  The United States economy would not function without truck drivers.  Truck driving is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing careers in the country.  The commercial trucking industry is expected to see a shortage of over 200,000 drivers over the next ten years while the economic demand for trucking services is expected to increase substantially.

Most drivers love the independence of truck driving and the connected feeling they get when they are behind the wheel and on the road with their truck.  Equally rewarding, equipment and jobs vary depending on what freight shippers need transported.  Drivers are often required to be at least 22 years old, able to lift heavy objects, and have 3-5 years driving experience.  Companies want to hire good drivers who work efficiently and cost less to insure.

Benefits such as lots of sightseeing, lots of family time when not driving,  and above-average compensation will be high on their list of selling points. While you do get to see lots of places, the one place you probably won’t see much is your home, unless you drive local routes. Benefits are a huge plus and are a big reason people seek out truck driving. Health benefits are often offered to drivers if they work for a bigger trucking company.

If you are searching for truck driver jobs the biggest question on your mind is probably, “How much money do truck drivers make?”  This is a very interesting and exciting topic as we will go through the things that effect truck driver income and give you realistic salary values.

Truck driver jobs are in high demand as the trucking industry is literally what keeps America moving.  The trucking industry alone bring in about $255 Billion in revenue per year!   This is not a cake walk however because the operation ratio for most trucking companies is about 95%.  That means for every dollar earned it cost’s the trucking company 95 cents to operate.  This only gives a profit of about 4.8 cents on the dollar.

As a truck driver you will drive about 100K miles per year on average.  Did you know that that’s about the same as driving around the globe 4 times?  Some veteran truck drivers have driven 5 million miles in their career.  That’s the same as driving around the earth 200 times, so there is definitely some serious driving involved with this job.

Here is the meaty part that you have been waiting for, the money!  Truck drivers and people looking for truck driving jobs can expect to be making $32,400 – $42,300 per year on average to start out.  This figure also depends on the size of the trucking company you get hired for.  MOST owner operators gross between $100K – $150K per year with a 50% operating cost.  This makes their net incomes per year equal about $50,000 – $75,000.

Realistically you can count on grossing $35,000 per year starting.  Be very wary and careful when you hear about offers to make $60,000 a year as a new truck driver.  This just does not happen for new truck drivers who don’t own a truck.  If you are an owner operator and own a truck then yes, $60,000 is a very realistic number.

Truck driving jobs pay very well and often come along with benefits such as health insurance etc.  Just remember that these jobs are in high demand as America hauls more than 9 billion tons of cargo around the country every year!  Directly connected with that figure is that 70% of communities rely on the trucking industry for the delivery of their merchandise!  Trucking is a part of the American way and it is a way of life.  Most people don’t understand how important trucking is and how much it directly effects them.  As a driver you will be able to participate in this American way of life and keep the country moving along.

Most people looking for truck driving jobs want to know where to start.  It’s quite simple actually and we will give you the steps we feel should be followed to acquire a truck driver job.  The first place to start is at the source.  Find a large trucking station in the area and look at the trucking magazines that are usually free to take.  Pick three to five companies that peak your interest in these magazines.

Once you have selected a few companies, check them out online and learn about how they run and operate.  Most of these trucking companies have online forms that you can fill out to request additional information or even talk to a trucking company recruiter.

Another method to finding a trucking job very easily is to ask a truck driver how they like working for their current employer.  If you hae a neighbor or friend who drives this is definitely the easiest way to learn everything you need to know and often these drivers can help you get hired very easily.

Keep in mind you will have to go to a trucking school to get a CDL and pass certain regulated truck driving standards.  If you don’t have a lot of money make sure you specifically look for trucking companies that will either pay for your schooling or at least help you out with some of the cost.

It really does not take too much looking around or too much time to get hired as a truck driver.  If you are already a truck driver it can take only a matter of days to switch to a new employer.  If you are brand new it can take as little as a few weeks to get you into a big rig enjoying the beautiful scenery of America.  The key is going to the source of the information.  Going to the trucking stations is a good idea because companies advertise in these hubs to try and solicit existing truck drivers to work for them and pay them more money.  If you can get started with a big high paying trucking company that is the ultimate career goal.

If you haven’t already heard, truck drivers get paid A LOT of money!  Because there is a national shortage of truck drivers, companies are willing to give bonuses and increased pay to truck drivers.  If you are a safe and reliable truck driver you will also get paid much more money as companies value stable employees that lower their overhead risk.  Seniority also matters as a truck driver because companies give raises each year that you are a truck driver.

Major benefits are offered to truck drivers by big trucking companies.  Benefits for truck drivers usually include medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, life insurance, and retirement plans such as 401K’s.  Truck drivers often get paid holidays and paid vacations.  The benefits offered to truck drivers rival benefit packages found at fortune 500 companies.

Flexibility is another great benefit for people looking for truck driving jobs.  Schedules can be decided by drivers and drivers can also select what types of hauls they would like to drive.  If you are a solo driver, you can sometimes get permission to bring a pet or child to accompany you during the drive.

Beauty truly is all around you as a truck driver.  The U.S. is so amazingly beautiful and most truck drivers love the things they see along their driving routes.  Its the best office view anyone could ask for.

With this country in it’s current recession, job security is the most sought after benefit people are looking for.  Job security is another great benefit of being a truck driver.  Trucking companies always need more drivers and the population and needs for services continue to increase.  Truck driving jobs will never go away, no matter what kind of economic status the country is in.

As you can see truck driver jobs offer a lot of realistic and privileged benefits.  As a truck driver you can make sure that your family has health insurance and you can also start planning for your families future by knowing there are retirement options available to help you with the expenses of life.  We hope you will seriously consider the benefits of being a truck driver as you continue your career search.