So You Want To Become A Truck Driver? You have heard about the great money being a truck driver, and traveling the country too. First of all, it’s not always a bed of roses and takes some pretty fantastic driving abilities, so don’t think you get to just hop in a truck and start making that money.
The requirements to get a license and job driving are very strict and for good reason. Remember trucks are higher of the ground and much longer so you need to basically learn how to drive again. Remember your driving instructors warning to watch out for everything? It is much more important in a big rig. You have to take wider turns, watch out for vehicles not yielding to your wide turn, and maneuver every street with much more concern. This is why you must take a course specifically for truck driving.
There are several different types of truck driving, (CDL) licenses, and courses to go with them. There are hazardous materials, air brake endorsed, passenger, and more. You will need to know what you want to do, before starting out. It will save you time and money if you research first.
Let’s say you are going for the cross country licensing. You want to make a lot of money.
The more endorsements you get, the more money you can make. Hazardous involves explosives, and more responsibilities to go with that pay. Tanker carries hazardous, but not always, so you can get a safer gig with it. Air brake endorsement means you did not take the test with air brakes, so you will have to, to be able to drive those types of trucks. Doubles/triples is for those brave souls that want to attach an extra trailer. It is riskier, but also pays more. Then there is passenger endorsed, for a school bus, tour and city bus drivers.
Sometimes the hours are long, and you may even be gone for several days, if not weeks at a time. It can get lonely. You must be ready to live on the road and be away from family. However, for some, this is a perfect set up or arrangement. You do have a lot of downtime and can explore new places, but you will either have to use UBER, LYFT, Taxi’s or bring along a bike. You need the exercise anyway. It can be a rewarding experience, and you can stockpile some money while you are at it.
