There are two ways to become a truck driver. By truck driver, I mean driving a big rig, 18-wheeler for money. In most states, you must go through an approved truck driving school. This will be required by nearly all of the major carriers. You can (1) go on your own or you can (2) go through a company-sponsored school. These are the two ways. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. For this reason I will discuss both.

Find An Approved Truck Driving School

Finding an approved truck driving school is not too hard to find. You can look

Them up on the web,
Contact your state department of transportation (DoT) or
Simply ask the better business bureau if they can recommend one.

Once you find one:

You will have to fill out an application just as you would in any other technical school or community college.
You will be required to take a physical to see if you meet the driving requirements.
If you are eligible, you will have to pay for your school yourself or get a grant. Usually grants are given out through the state employment agency, if they have one. In any case, you are required to pay for the school in some way.

Advantage of Self-Pay

The advantage of paying for school yourself is your freedom to choose whom you will work. Most acceptable schools will have a list of clients (companies that accept their school). Upon completion, you will be able to drive. However, nearly all major companies will require you to go through a period of driving under the supervision of their trainer.

Another advantage to going it on your own is you can walk away at any time. If you find that truck driving is not for you, you can simply cut your losses and quit. That is if you haven’t made any other obligations. This will be more expensive but will give you more options if you can afford it.

The disadvantage of self-pay is it will not guarantee you a job upon completion of school.

Advantage of Company Pay

The second way is almost the same, but with a little twist. You will still have to pass a physical since federal law requires this.

Major companies will give you a stipend, while going through school. Essentially, the company will pay for your driving school. There is one catch. You will have to work for that company for at least six month to one year. After completing your training program and after you have fulfilled your required payback time, you will be able to go to any other company that will hire you.

The advantage of going to a company school is they pay for the schooling and will guarantee you a job once you complete the requirements. Many find that this is the least expensive and most desirable way to get a job and a commercial driver’s license.

The draw back is if you don’t or can’t complete your obligation, you will have to reimburse the company for your schooling. You are or will be under a contract, which you must fulfill.

There are more than 3 million Americans driving trucks for a living, and there are more truck driving jobs than that. Pick up any newspaper in the country, search the web and you’re likely to see lots of truck driving jobs. Take a drive down any freeway, and almost every semi you see will have an ad on its side or back offering to hire truckers. Anyone who doesn’t mind navigating a tractor trailer will never have to worry about being out of work. The opportunities are endless. How do you get started as a truck driver? You’ve got to have a commercial driver’s license, or CDL. Theoretically, you could get a CDL on your own, but that’s not recommended and it‘s hardly ever done. The best way is to attend a reputable truck driving school. In fact, many trucking companies have their own schools, the company will sponsor you training in order to obtain a driver and guarantee you a truck driving job upon graduation. Driver Recruiting Services Inc will expedite your way into one of these Company Sponsored CDL Schools. Generally you’ll have to work for them for at least a year after graduation, but that’s a good policy anyway.

One of the biggest problems in the trucking industry is turnover, people hopping from company to company, hoping to find that perfect truck driving job. You want to avoid that as much as possible. Job hop too much and you’ll find that no company will hire you. How do you find a good company to start with? The same way experienced truckers do. You’ve got to know what you want and Driver Recruiting Services Inc is here to help.  We have done the research for you and provide a way for you to find the “perfect” truck driving job. Even the best companies will have their downsides. So before you head off to private truck driving school and spend thousands of dollars and years paying it off you need to contact Driver Recruiting Services Inc. The first thing you need to do is make a list of what’s most important to you. Are you looking for the most money, and everything else takes second place, are you looking for more time home? Do you want to drive as a team or do you want to drive solo? Is the quality of equipment important to you? Do you hope to one day be an owner operator? Then make sure up front that the company has an O/O division, and if you’ll be able to qualify down the road. Do you need to drive the same truck all the time, or are you fine with slip seating? How much loading and unloading will you be expected to do? How long will it take before you get a dedicated route, if you want one? These are the kind of things you want to find out before you take a job. And don’t just take the company’s word for it. Driver Recruiting Services Inc recruiting team has over 30 years of experience in the placing inexperienced drivers with the right trucking company. A truck driving job can be a great career. Many drivers love their jobs, and you can, too.