Considering A Career In Truck Driving

Hello all, I am new to this site. I am 35 years old and have been a police officer for the last 12 years. I really don't have the passion for police work anymore and am looking for a career change, I don't think I can make it another 18 years in this job. This site is very informative and I really enjoy reading the stories. My biggest hang up weather to change careers or not is the pay, I don't make a whole lot now maybe 40k a year so. I'm just not sure if i'd be able to make close to that if I started a new career. I have a family but I really enjoy driving, I do not have a CDL but have been in touch with Millis Trucking out of EDEN, NC and they have a training program. If anyone has any advice for me please comment. Thanks All!

Welcome aboard!

The perfect place to start is our Truck Driver's Career Guide. It has mountains of information about life in the trucking industry and what it takes to get started.

You can count on making anywhere from $32,000-$36,000 your first year but there are people that make a good bit more. Within about three years you should be able to work your way up to about $50,000/year.

Now with a family you're going to want to get home more often. Millis Transfer is a great place to start and they have regional options where you'll get home on the weekends. There are other companies that offer training also so have a look at that link and you'll see you have a lot of choices.

Now if you really do some digging you might find opportunities that get you home every night straight out of school. Often times it takes at least a few months of OTR or regional experience before you can land a local job but not always. Regardless, I'm confident you can find something before too long that gets you home regularly. Flatbed and dry van companies tend to have the best home time options. Most refrigerated carriers tend to keep you out for several weeks at a time.

But have a look at our career guide and follow all of the links you come across. You'll learn a ton about the industry and we're happy to help you sort things out as you go.

Hey Greg! I also am in the same boat. I currently am a Paramedic and I have been at it for just under 15 years total including my EMT time. I have a family too and was wondering if changing careers is something I want to pull the trigger on. I spoke with Millis a while back and they seem to have a great training program. If I decide to go back I would definitely consider them. I am out of the Chicago area so it would be regional. The only problem is the best they can do is get you home every 11-14 days. That's a little difficult for me. Ideally I would like to be gone 2 or 3 nights a week and then home for most of the weekend. Good luck finding that right? I work in the Cook County jail and I am just over the crap. Let me know how it works out for you.- Andrew

The only problem is the best [Millis] can do is get you home every 11-14 days. That's a little difficult for me. Ideally I would like to be gone 2 or 3 nights a week and then home for most of the weekend.

Andrew, if you can go the distance and drive Millis' OTR for a while, you might get the dedicated run you're looking for. I drove just over 3 months OTR for Swift and then was offered a shuttle lane. Good news: home every day, work 6 days off 2. Bad news: 12 hour "shift", starting at 11pm. A shuttle lane means you drive the same route every day. Same road, same trees, same everything. Every day ...

I don't mind working 12 hr shifts or working 6 days in a row, I do a lot of that now and am barely home. I guess I'm considering this as a career because I feel like it's something I can do and enjoy. Also It would be close to the income I am making now.

In any case, make sure you plan for loss of income!! This is with ANY career. Perhaps you can ask for some off while you explore so you know you have a job if you decide trucking isn't for you? I do not believe the Family and Medical Leave Act will benefit you in this situation, but the Department of Labor's website has info on it. By the way, thank you for your pledge to serve and protect. I couldn't be a police officer or EMT!

Dear Friends

Now a days huge number of truck driving companies hiring truckers

From CNN:

During tough economic times with high unemployment, Americans should be jumping at any chance to work, but trucking companies are struggling to hire drivers.

There are as many as 200,000 job openings nationwide for long haul truckers, according to David Heller, director of safety and policy for the Truckload Carriers Association.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also sees the demand for truckers increasing, up from the 1.5 million drivers on the road now. It expects trucking to add 330,100 jobs between 2010 and 2020, an increase of 20%.

But these positions are difficult to fill, and even harder to keep filled.

"Nobody wants to drive a truck," said Heller.

The pay isn't bad: Truckers earn a median annual wage of $37,930, which is $4,000 more than the median wage for all jobs, according to the BLS. The top 10% of truck drivers make more than $58,000 per year.

So why do so many long-haul trucking jobs remain unfilled?

Thanks for all the replies! I'll keep you informed on whats going on.

Hope it works out well for you brother. Stay safe out there in the meantime.