Truck Driving Man

Many children have fantasized about becoming a truck driver when they grow up, but lately, fewer are actually doing it. Some studies actually say that US trucking companies are short 20,000 truck drivers! This is a result of many long haul drivers retiring and a lack of new truckers joining the ranks. Needless to say, now is a great time to enter a great truck driver training program and earn a CDL license.

Long haul trucking is a great way to see the country and meet new and interesting people. It is also a great way to make a living in these rough economic times. There is currently a high demand in many areas for long haul truckers, and when demand is high, wages tend to improve. A good truck driving school can have a long haul driver on the road with a CDL in hand in less than a month.

Truck driver training at a reputable school will generally take around three weeks depending on the state regulations where the CDL test will be taken. The training itself will include a combination of classroom training and behind the wheel training. The classroom work consists mainly of the basics, safety, rules and regulations mandated by the Department of Transportation. The behind-the-wheel training should include open road driving, backing exercises and pre-trip inspections. With proper training, all of these skills will become second nature to the driver and result in a safe operator that trucking firms will be looking to hire.

An additional thing that should be part of any truck driver training program is career services. Ensure that the training company chosen will give assistance in job placement and that they are successful at this. Many training schools will have established relationships with trucking firms, and the best schools will know what these firm are looking for in a new truck driver. These schools can then focus their training to these current demands in the trucking industry.

In our current troubled economy, jobs may seem hard to come by in many industries. But, the trucking industry continues to grow, and at the same time, lose people to retirement. Now is a great time to get the training required for a CDL and hit the open road.