Truck Driver Shortage in the United States

Trained truck drivers are in high demand in the United States today. While this isn’t news, in recent years the shortage of trained truck drivers is something that is now beginning to make large retailers nervous. Big firms like Wal Mart and Amazon who are constantly expanding and in need of truck drivers to deliver both long haul and last mile across the U.S. are now looking to new methods to solve problems. Drones have been identified, along with bike messengers, but at the end of the day we can’t replace large vehicles for long distance deliveries. The average age of truck drivers in the U.S. is 55 years. As retirement looms, and efforts are not made to bring younger drivers in, there will hardly be any truck drivers left. For some reason, the younger generation doesn’t seem interested in the profession and yet today it pays much better than other professions out there. The fact that the economy is at an all-time high makes the truck driver shortage worse, since there is a higher demand for goods.

 

Finding the Perfect Truck Driving Position

There are a number of truck driving jobs that you can choose from if you choose to become a truck driver, and below we have listed some of them:

 

  • Transporting tankers that have non-hazardous liquids like milk or water, or hazardous materials like petroleum. The hazardous materials drivers need to have a Hazmat certification.
  • Packaged goods deliveries, usually from warehouses to retail outlets. Depending on the employer’s, they might need the drivers to load and unload the cargo.
  • Driving oversized trucks that carry anything from readymade homes to lumber.
  • Hauling cars their sales points or car yards.
  • Long distance, or over the road trucking (OTR).

 

You need to decide on the driving job that will suit you best, and some of the things to take into consideration before applying for the trucking jobs include:

 

  • The types of schedules you’d like to work with. Some people have to be home every evening for their kids, and in such cases, OTR should be a no-no.
  • The loading and unloading, are you willing to do it? if not, you’ll want to steer away from most delivery jobs.
  • How well do you handle pressure? Some of the oversized trucks require a lot of skill, patience, accuracy, and the ability to handle unexpected situations positively.
  • You also need to consider the jobs that are available where you live and go for the most advertised ones in order to guarantee long-term employment there.

 

The Role of Education in Truck Driving Careers

One of the advantages of truck driving is that they usually don’t require college degrees. A high school diploma and a CDL license are all that the truck driver requires most of the time. One should also complete a training program prior to applying for a job due to the following reasons:

 

  • It will prepare you for different driving positions, opening up more opportunities despite the fact that most trucking companies offer their own training.
  • You won’t need company training, which means that you can get directly to work instead of training on a retainer. This will mean earning more money.
  • Many businesses contact trucking schools for new employees, and this means that you could have a job by the time you’re graduating.

 

There is an acute shortage of truck drivers in the U.S., and this is one profession you might want to take up. There is guaranteed job security as well as good pay and benefits. If you think this is the perfect fit for you, check out job boards and websites for the positions that suit you best.