Deciding you want a job in the transportation industry is not usually the first thing people think of when weighing their potential career paths. But a career in transportation can be rewarding and exciting.
Here are our top eight reasons why you should consider a career as a professional truck driver:
1. Purpose & Impact
The saying is “if you bought it, a truck brought it”—that couldn’t be any more true. In 2020, the U.S. transportation industry moved an average of 49 tons of freight valued at more than $53 billion per day.
According to Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) during his presentation to Dot Foods employees and business partners at Dot’s annual trade show, trucks move more than 72 percent of the nation’s freight.
Still not convinced? In 2019, trucks moved 11.84 billion tons of freight!
2. Great Pay & Benefits
The median driver salary in 2018 was $43,680 per year, or $21 per hour. As of 2020, Glassdoor reports that the average base pay of a professional truck driver is just shy of $60K annually.
If you decide to pursue a career with DTI, you get paid for more than just your miles. You can learn all about how Dot pays our drivers here. You can also learn more about our extensive benefits offerings worth more than $22K here.
3. Job Security
You’ve probably heard that the trucking industry is experiencing a shortage of truck drivers. Because of this, professional drivers are in high demand. In 2018, the industry was short approximately 60,800 drivers according to a report by the ATA. That means if you’re qualified, you’ll have job security—especially if you drive for Dot Transportation, Inc. (DTI), who has never had a layoff since it was founded in 1991.
4. Career Growth Opportunities
There is a lot of growth opportunity in the trucking industry. If you’re looking to start and end your career as a professional driver, you can do that. But if you’re looking to expand into leadership positions, that is an option, too.
If you drive for DTI, there are opportunities to become an in-house driver trainer or to work your way up to being a transportation manager. And don’t forget about lateral career moves. Interested in working in our warehouse? On our customer service team? There are opportunities for you to grow that way, too!
5. Challenges to Keep You On Your Toes
Trucking isn’t for the faint of heart. You have to be an expert driver, customer service extraordinaire, and throw freight if you’re not in a no-touch driving position. You will get to wear multiple hats throughout your work week, each with their own chance of facing new challenges.
6. Community
Truck drivers are a close-knit group of professionals with a deep respect for each other and their shared career. Once you join that community, you will have a large group of people to lean on. While driving may seem like an individualistic job, it is really a team effort involving other drivers, dispatch, management, warehouse workers, and more.
7. Ample Work Available
The transportation industry is always evolving. Working in transportation means working on the frontlines of innovation. Plus, American highways are the primary way consumers get their favorite products. Need even more assurance? The American Trucking Associations is predicting that freight volumes are going to rise by 36 percent between 2020 and 2031. That is an average of a 3 percent increase each year.
Long story short—there is always work to be done when working in transportation.
8. Essential Industry
If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that being a professional truck driver is more essential than ever before. 80 percent of American communities rely solely on trucks for the delivery of goods. Because of this, Dot’s drivers are finding themselves on the front lines of the nation’s efforts to survive the COVID-19 outbreak. We are incredibly appreciative of our dedicated truck drivers who are driving America forward and keeping food on our families’ tables. Drivers cannot be thanked enough for their selflessness and professionalism.