CDL Requirements

Breaking Into the Trucking Industry

Life as a professional truck driver can be very rewarding, both personally and professionally If the idea of getting paid to see the country is appealing driving a truck can be a great way to accomplish that goal. Unfortunately the hard part can be breaking into the industry. If you want to be a successful truck driver you will need to get your foot in the door, but many companies are looking for experience. So you are stuck with the old catch-22 of the job market — how do you get the experience you need when you can’t get the job you want.

One way to get your foot in the door is to take a less glamorous job as a delivery driver or shuttle driver. Driving a pickup truck for a construction company or a shuttle bus for a hotel can give you valuable behind the wheel experience and give you an idea of what it will be like to drive for a living. Once you have some experience under your belt those trucking companies may look at you in a more favorable light. In some cases companies who are in need of drivers may even be willing to pay for the behind the wheel and classroom instruction you will need to get your CDL license.

Speaking of training, going to truck driving school is another way to get the experience companies are looking for while getting an inside track on the trucking jobs that are out there. Some trucking firms even operate their own trucking schools to get the qualified drivers they need. The good news is that those firms will generally pay for all your schooling costs. The bad news is that you will have to work for that company when you have completed your training. If the company turns out to not be a good fit you may end up frustrated.

If you pay for your own training you will have more choices, but of course you will have to come up with the money before you begin. It is important to balance the cost of the education against the freedom to find the job of your choice and make your decision accordingly.

Steve Waller has built a search engine specifically for driving jobs in the UK where you can view trucking jobs from loads of online job boards in one place.
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