Not every company will require you to have your CDL
or have taken a course at a truck driving school in order to hire you. Because
of the high demand for truck drivers, it is not uncommon for some companies to
offer training to potential employees.
Generally if you are trained by a company, you will
be required to work with that company for a certain amount of time, usually a
year or two. If you quit before that time, you will be required to pay back the
balance of the cost of training. This is something to look at before taking a
job with a company that offers training.
Truck Driving Jobs
There are many different positions for a truck
driver. Truck drivers can work in interstate hauling of freight, in-state
hauling of freight or even local work for a company. Many truck drivers also
work in warehouses and storehouses.
Working as a local driver means you will be making
much shorter trips, and will usually be home every night rather than out on the
road. If you want to be a truck driver but don't wish to spend all of your time
away from home, finding a job as a local or in-state truck driver might be the
solution for you.
Truck Driver Pay
Most truck driving companies pay by the mile. For
example, a typical starting pay for a new truck driver would be about $0.30 a
mile. For every mile driven in the truck on the job you earn 30 cents. Many
companies will also offer bonuses on top of this, like $1,000 for every 30,000
miles or something of that sort. So, for example, if you drove 100,000 miles in
a year, this would be $30,000 plus $3,000 in bonuses for each 30,000 miles
driven, earning you $33,000 that year.