So you're interested in becoming a truck driver and you want to learn more, eh? Well, you're at exactly the right place! Truck driving is an outstanding career in my opinion. It's certainly not an easy one, but it's been an amazing 15 years for me, and I wouldn't trade it for the world! So for anyone considering a career in truck driving I've created this guide to walk you through some important things you should know.
Ok, so lets learn more about becoming a truck driver:
Many people are looking for a new job or a new career because the economy is in such horrible shape. And let's face it, it's not going to get better anytime soon. So is truck driving the right career choice when times get tough? Is there a demand for drivers even now? Let's look into it.
There is no chance of avoiding recession - we are already in one. There is no chance that things are going to get better any time soon. Why? Because the core of our financial system, and the world's financial system for that matter, has been crushed and it's going to take a long time for these problems to work their way through the system and allow the economy to move forward again. How will this affect the trucking industry? The same way it affects the rest of the country - it's going to put a hurtin on it.
When the economy slows and companies cut back, many people are either laid-off, lose their jobs, or are forced into pay cuts. Changing careers is a common consideration when times get tough. What about becoming a truck driver during a bad economy? Is it a good idea? Will it be tough finding a job? What about everything you hear on TV about trucker’s strikes and trucking companies going bankrupt from the high fuel prices? Wouldn’t this be a terrible time to get into trucking? Absolutely not! Now is as good a time as any.
A number of recent data sources, along with quotes from economic analysts and trucking industry leaders, all point to an improving economy and clear signs of an improved outlook for the trucking industry.
I decided to hypothetically put two people seeking professional careers, one a prospective college student, the other a truck driving school candidate, up against each other in a comparison of job training, annual salary, debt accumulation, and investment capability throughout their careers. The results are quite interesting.
The slow economy has really dampened demand for truck drivers in the past year or two, and now there are several factors that seem to be converging to create the "perfect storm" for truck driving demand in the decade ahead. Let's take a look at an article on our sister site BigRigDriving and see what we could be facing.
Now before you commit to going to school, you'll want to make sure that truck driving is the right career for you. It's not for everyone, but if you have the right personality and the right expectations about what life is like on the road, you'll be in great shape. Start by doing a little bit of reading about life on the road, including my story of how I got started.
I don't believe there is anyone in America, or a multitude of other countries for that matter, who hasn’t considered becoming a truck driver. We’ve all wondered from time to time what life would be like traveling the highways day in and day out …I give an intro to my series on becoming a truck driver.
For somebody considering a career in the trucking industry, this is the million dollar question. I mean, how many people have ever experienced being a truck driver? Pretty much nobody. So how are you supposed to know if it’s for you? In the third part of this series I’ll talk a little bit about life on the road and try to help you decide if it would be right for you
TruckerMike, our most popular blogger of all time, was asked a number of great questions about life in the trucking industry and in this article he gives a rundown of 17 common questions and answers for people who are new to the trucking industry. A great read!
There is no doubt that life on the road is truly an adventure. But every choice we make in our lives is a compromise and traveling for a living is no exception. There are a lot of things to consider when trying to decide if truck driving is right for you and none of them are more important than the harsh reality of leaving behind our family and friends. In the second part of this series I'll cover the difficult decision of leaving your loved ones behind.
This is a blog post by our most popular blogger, TruckerMike. He came to us looking for information about becoming a truck driver, and wound up doing it! Now, a year later he writes: "Wow, it's hard to believe, but I've been at my current employer for 1 year as of today. I began Truck Driving School in January of 2009, completed that in February of 2009, and was hired on in March of 2009. This post will simply serve as some observations that I've made as my first year of a truck driver."
I often get question like this: "Do truck drivers like their jobs? My son will soon be finishing his truck training and will enter the job market so I have been cruising the web looking at different truck sites, (yours, thus far, is the most interesting). I find lots of information on how bad truck driving is, (e.g. health issues, dangerous, bad companies, loads of complaints, and more). What I cannot find are stories or comments from drivers who actually like what they do." Well, here's my take on it...
Then, if it sounds like it might be for you, you'll have to find a school to go to. There are a couple of different types of schools and before you can choose, you'll have to know a little bit about each one.
Everybody wants something for free. But as we all know, nothing is free. So does "nothing" apply to free truck driving schools also? I'm afraid so. However, if you change the idea of "free truck driving schools" to "no money up front truck driving schools" - then you're on to something! There are a lot of options when it comes to attending truck driving school and I'll cover a couple of ideas here for you. We'll also cover some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
We have an entire section of TruckingTruth dedicated to trucking companies that offer CDL training themselves. Some of the schools wind up being free, and most wind up being very inexpensive and require little money down. Read through this section for some great information on many of the companies that offer this type of training.
Our truck driving blog section has hundreds of articles full of great information, and this page is our "Choosing The Right Truck Driving School" category with a series of articles that will help you understand how to choose the right truck driving school for you. Every article has something unique to offer so check em out!
Ok, now that you know about the different types of schools, you'll have to choose a truck driving school and possibly find a school in your area. Of course if you choose to have your training at a trucking company that offers CDL training, they'll bring you to their facility so it won't matter where they are located.
This is a great article written by TruckerMike that outlines his research into choosing the best truck driving school. It's very thorough and full of great tips that will help you understand exactly what you should be looking for in a CDL training facility.
We have a good size database full of independent truck driving schools (not owned by trucking companies) organized by state, mapped out, and their contact information is included. Take a look here to find private CDL training in your area.
We have an entire section of TruckingTruth dedicated to trucking companies that offer CDL training themselves. Some of the schools wind up being free in the end, and most of the rest wind up being very inexpensive and require very little money up front. Read through this section for some great information on many of the companies that offer this type of training.
Well, at this point you have quite a few things to think about. This has been a lot of information for sure. How about we relax for a little while and read a few stories from the road? You can be sure that after a little while on the road you're going to have some crazy stories. Every driver does!
As a young lad of 21 years old, and only a few months into my first trucking job of my career, only 3 months out of trucking school, you would assume that your first company would take it easy on you, right? Well, that's what I thought. Until I got the call - you're going into the Bronx.
Trucking jobs in Chicago, IL can be brutal, unless you absolutely love the traffic. A career in truck driving wouldn't be complete without a lot of time sitting in traffic in the windy city. Actually, I never felt getting around Chicago was all that bad.
A truck driving job in Phoenix, AZ wouldn't be too bad by most standards. Driving truck through the mountains can get a little hairy at times, but overall the weather is great, the DOT won't bother you, and the scenery is great. But a city is a city and trucking in Phoenix is still trucking in a city.
This is an interesting article that covers several different aspects of life on the road for a new driver and talks about the effect it has on a person.
By now you must have a ton of questions you'd love to discuss with someone. It would be great to have experienced drivers around to give you a quick response and an honest, thorough answer wouldn't it? Well, you've got it! We have all kinds of ways you can find answers to your questions, talk with experienced drivers, and meet up with others who are new to the trucking industry.
Our trucker's forum is the friendliest, most helpful trucking forum you'll find anywhere on the Web. We have experienced drivers and newbies alike discussing every issue imaginable when it comes to getting started in the trucking industry. No criticizing, no harsh tones, and no BS. We'll give it to ya straight - anything you'd like to know - and we'll do it with respect and kindness. You'll meet a lot of great people here and find friendly, honest help with any questions you may have. Make sure you stop by and look around for a while if you're not ready to join yet - there's a ton of great information waiting for ya!
We have a fantastic facebook page with a ton of great discussions and a first look at our newest content as we release it. Ask any questions you like, and discuss issues with others that are interested in getting into the trucking industry. Make sure you "like" us and we'll be sure to do all we can to help you out.
Google+ is brand new and it's already fantastic. At TruckingTruth we're going to be using Google+ for all kinds of great stuff, including sharing photos and videos, giving access to exclusive content, answering questions about the trucking industry, live video conferencing sessions, releasing new content, and following along with each other as members embark on their journey into the trucking industry. Definitely add me to your circle and join the rest of us in our truckin community.
We get a ton of questions here at TruckingTruth and with your permission we will post some of them with our answers for others to learn from. We'll gladly keep your private questions private, but a lot of questions are quite common so we like to share a few with everyone. Check it out!
After 15 years on the road, I wrote a book for people who are considering becoming a truck driver. It's filled with advice, stories, and insights into life as a truck driver, and it will definitely help you understand the realities of the trucking industry and life on the road in a big way. Take a few minutes to check it out, including some free excerpts, and see what you think. It's a great read.
For questions about becoming a truck driver, we highly recommend:
- Our Guide To Becoming A Truck Driver
- Our Trucker's Forum which is full of friendly, helpful people
- Our TruckingTruth Facebook Page
- Our Truck Driving Blogs with almost 300 articles from over a dozen authors
- Our Ask A Driver Page or Brett's Truck Driving Articles
BigRigDriving is for those interested in research, debates, and discussion of topics within the trucking industry
TruckingTruth is dedicated to those considering becoming a truck driver or are new to the trucking industry
Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving
- By Brett AquilaIf you're considering becoming a truck driver, this is the book for you!
Posted on 26 January 2012
I had never planned on driving a big rig so you can imagine how exciting it was for me to reach the 300,000 mile barrier! Continue reading →
Posted on 29 December 2011
There are a lot of factors that will affect your ability to find job placement in the trucking industry. Not only the obvious ones like employment history, criminal history, and driving record, but also things like your physical health and credit scores. Let's take a look at em.... Continue reading →
Posted on 28 December 2011
While the majority of students have success during their time at CDL training, there are others who come up short in their quest to become a professional truck driver. So, why do they fail? And how can it be prevented? Let's take a look at the four most common mistakes and how to prevent them. Continue reading →
Posted on 21 December 2011
Getting pre-hires is an important step when beginning your truck driving career. They can verify that companies are willing to hire you, and give you numerous choices when it comes to choosing the company you'd like to work for. Here we'll go into detail about what a pre-hire is, and how to go about getting them. Continue reading →
Posted on 15 December 2011
Sleep apnea is the biggest buzz in the trucking industry right now. But is this justified? Or is it yet another money-making scheme for the insurance companies and medical industry? The statistics are fuzzy. Continue reading →
Posted on 13 December 2011
There are a number of advantages to company-sponsored CDL training over private truck driving schools. Here we'll talk a little bit about the differences between the two, and why you may find that company-sponsored training is the better way to go. Continue reading →
Posted on 14 November 2011
I've seen more of this country in just a few short years than most people see in their entire lifetimes. But most things eventually come to an end. In this case, my trucking career has ended as I move on to other things. I'd like to summarize why I left the industry, and where I'm headed now. Continue reading →
Posted on 14 November 2011
Being a CDL instructor or a driver trainer is a very unique experience. I learned more about truck driving over the past 4 weeks than I have in the previous three years combined. It was an amazing learning experience for me. Here are some of the highlights I learned along the way. Continue reading →
Posted on 9 November 2011
After four weeks on the road training my student, it was time to sit back nervously and watch as he attempted to take the CDL exam to get his license. My student and I were extremely nervous, and it didn't go quite as well as we had hoped. Continue reading →
Posted on 25 October 2011
Becoming a solo truck driver is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, and I have done some hard things. CDL training will test you in so many ways, and it will go far beyond your ability to drive a truck. Continue reading →