Take to the roads as a truck driver
What career offers an average first year salary of 30,000, the opportunity to be your own manager, and promises plenty of travel? Good call if you answered “truck driver”. As 75 of goods in the United States are still transported by truck, there is plenty of demand for new drivers.Of course, if you’re here, you’ve probably already decided on your new career and are looking for a way to make it a reality. Before you start, there are a few requirements to take care of. The most important is obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License Class A. This enables drivers to use vehicles of 26,001 or more pounds with a towing capacity over 10,000 pounds. Testing consists of both knowledge- and skills-based portions. In addition, truckers will need a clean driving record (for almost every company), 20/40 vision in each eye with a 70 degree field of vision, and must be above 18 for local trucking and at least 21 for interstate trucking.A great way to get into the business is taking a course at a truck driving school. You can even take a class before getting your Commercial Driver’s Licensethey’ll teach you all the skills you’ll need to know. The best schools are certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute of Alexandria, Virginia, and membership in an accredited school could net you higher pay when you finally apply for a job.If you don’t have the time, money, or interest to spend on a course, you could always look for a company that’ll train you after hiring. The one caveat in this case is that you’ll probably have to stay with that company for a set number of years to pay off the training, unless you want to take on debt. Still, if you’ve already decided on pursuing this career in your life, this could be one commitment you’re willing to make.