If you’ve been thinking of going into trucking industry, here’s all you need to know about some of the top benefits you’ll get to enjoy as a professional truck driver.

Salary

One of the biggest benefits of becoming a professional truck driver is the salary that comes with this kind of a job. As beginners, truck drivers can earn up to $50,000 and even more after completing the training. The average truck driver makes a salary of about $77,473 a year. After you gain a few years’ worth of experience, you’ll have additional opportunities to take. This includes becoming an independent driver or even an owner-operator where you’ll be able to make up to $160,000 or more every year.

So overall, salaries for truck drivers can range from $50,000 to $160,000 or more. That depends on what kind of a truck driver you are. The following are just some of the highest paying salaries you can achieve as a professional truck driver:

• Owner-operators: $221,000
• Ice Road Drivers: $60,000 - $78,000 (per 3-4 months)
• Oversized Load: $73,000 - $120,000
• Specialty Vehicle Haulers: $67,000 - $89,000‍
• Team Drivers: $65,700 - $80,300

Health Insurance

Secondly, truck drivers who are employed by trucking companies get to enjoy the benefit of having dental, vision, life, and overall health insurance. A lot of trucking companies even go as far as to offer these benefits for your family as well.

Job Security

As the economy keeps growing, trucking also grows and is becoming the backbone of the economy. Truckers usually tend to say “if you bought it, a trucker brought it.” In other words, this means that the demand for goods means there’s demand for truck drivers. With the shortage in the number of drivers, there’s a constant state of urgent hiring. This provides a higher job security for those who would like to become truck drivers.

Since recruitment is a highly competitive aspect in the truck driving industry, you get to have more control compared to job seekers when you apply for jobs. This also comes as a useful advantage when you want to find a job as a truck driver with no experience.

No Degree Required

The best part about seeking a truck driving job is that you don’t need a degree for it. As a matter of fact, you can become a truck driver in a span of three weeks and obtain all the necessary endorsements for your commercial driver’s license (CDL). You’re required to have a CDL in order to operate with heavy trucks and transport some lucrative types of freight if you want to increase your salary. All you need is to take adequate driving lessons and acquire your driver’s license in order to start working.

The expenses for training to be a truck driver can go from $3,000 to $8,000 if you choose to attend a private truck driving school or a community college. However, it is also possible for you to obtain your CDL training without having to pay for it at all. If you want to go through the training for free, you need to enter make a contract with a larger trucking company.

Travel

The truck driving job comes with an incredible benefit that has to do with traveling. Your whole job basically revolves around making an income off of traveling around. It’s an amazing opportunity to see some of the most breathtakingly beautiful views of city skylines and nature. You’ll see some of the most stunning landscapes at different times of the day including mountains, oceans, desert, and so much more. You can even plan your vacations with drop-offs in areas you would like to explore more.

Freedom and Flexibility

Lastly, truck drivers get to have a lot of freedom and flexibility while working this job. There’s no boss who will be looking over your shoulder at all times. You don’t have any office politics or corporate grind. While you’re driving you’re free to listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks, or even talk with family members and friends. On top of that, you don’t have to deal with commuting to the office every morning and dealing with mundane paperwork.

Depending on your personal lifestyle, you can make truck driving as flexible as you need it to be. You get to schedule your own routes, choose whether you want long or short ones, and generally have a say in what your schedule will look like to accommodate your own lifestyle. Overall, you get to be your own boss in a way and find the most suitable times and ways for you to do your job.

Conclusion

In conclusion, professional truck driving has some amazing benefits. The salaries are great, you get to have your health insurance covered, there’s a high demand for this job position, and you get to have all the freedom and flexibility for working. On top of all of that, you don’t need a degree to start working. All you need is a driver’s license and a CDL.