And Ron, I agree with everything Brett said. There are jobs out here, but you have to do your research and take the right steps. Feel free to email me personally if you’d like any advice.

If your driving record is decent – for instance, no DUI’s, no reckless driving, no more than 3 tickets in the past 3 years, etc – and your criminal record is clean, and you go to a reputable CDL school, then yes, there are over-the-road jobs available in the industry for sure. It’s hard finding local work straight out of school, though. You’ll most likely have to work over-the-road (meaning home every 2-3 weeks) for about a year before you’ll have much luck finding a local job.

You can get “pre-hired” before you begin schooling, which means you apply at trucking companies and they confirm that you will qualify for employement after you graduate from an approved school. A pre-hire is not always a guarantee that you’ll be hired immediately by that company, but rather an assurance that if they have positions available when you graduate, they will likely hire you. Getting pre-hires before you begin your schooling will go a long way towards easing your mind that the committment to CDL training will be worth the trouble.

We have a great group of articles about choosing the right truck driving school here:

Choosing a truck driving school

Read them all – especially the one by TruckerMike. Also, we have a section for trucking companies that offer CDL training with a lot of information here:

Trucking companies with CDL training

That will give you a lot of information to help get you going in the right direction.

Lastly, look through our Trucker’s forum and ask all the questions you like!

Every new job you have to pay your dues, I accept this fact. I just want to know bottom line if this is a fairly for sure job with paychecks and benefits, i feel like i am spending my whole life training for jobs that dont pay the bills. I have spent over 65,000 on flight training, only to find out that there is no way in hell of getting hired ANYWHERE. And then i went through pure hell while going to a police academy which didnt net me a job. I dont need to get rich, i just want a job. I am not afraid to work hard, i just want to get paid for my effort. Any info would really be appreciated,

As a young teenager, you prepared for getting your Amateur Radio License with a purpose of reaching out to others, and for communication adventures in weather watching and storm chasing… While working on getting your Private Pilot’s License in high school you were dedicated, studied hard, and accomplished something that relatively very few in this world can do… Fly airplanes! Then, while college was something that you knew was right for you to succeed at, the post-college office job didn’t bring you the freedom and enjoyment that you hoped for in a career, and you knew that you needed a change.

However, I have never seen you put so much research, planning, and commitment into anything like you have for becoming a “Professional Truck Driver.” The excitement that you have for your new career is what everyone should strive for in his or her life and work. We only live once in this life, so work should be something enjoyable, and bring pride and fulfillment. You may end up driving a truck your entire life, or it may lead to other opportunities that are unforeseen at this time. But, whatever you do in life, I’m content that you’ll bring fulfillment for your life and the lives of those around you.

As you portrayed in your article, many can claim to be a truck driver, but it’s the “Professionalism in truck driving” that you are personally striving for. You have said OTR truck driving is not a job; it’s a life style. Well, it looks like you have prepared yourself and set the appropriate attitude to excel with excellence in life, and to your new profession. Through your example, and other drivers like you, you can bring a new image for OTR truck drivers and represent a new breed for, The Professional Truck Driver.

As you take your SOLO RUN in your very own company truck… my CONGRATULATIONS are with you in a big way. What an adventure that your on!

–TruckerMikeDad–

You should toot your own horn as drivers do go thru a lot to get to this point and you need to celebrate this moment! You are now a PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER!!! Said with pride, not the other way that the public thinks of us.

It will be a whole new experiance for you now being alone and driving without pedal to the metal all the time. You can now use the radio any way you want and listen to anything you want.

Whatever truck you get assigned too, I know it will be in great hands and get the best of care. Congrats Mike on achieving this goal and reaching for more in the new adventures that await you.