Picture it: the wind hitting your face, the open road ahead, your favorite music playing on the stereo, an incredible sunset framing the landscape… This scenario can be part of your daily life if you’ve ever thought about being a truck driver in the USA.

It is obvious that not everything is rainbows and butterflies and not every day will have a beautiful sunset. Driving a truck can be lonely and there are a growing number of government rules that regulate what drivers can and cannot do on the job. Like every industry, the freight transport industry also has its challenges and a lot of areas to improve. However, it can be a great and profitable business.

Below, we have listed six reasons to consider this profession today.

1. Trucks and truck drivers wanted

The news and experts have been talking about a shortage of truck drivers for a long time, but with the pandemic, which accelerated the growth of online shopping, the lack of drivers has multiplied. 

However, truck driving remains one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. There are over 1.7 million heavy truck and semi trailer driver jobs today, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Job advertisements for the transport and trucking sector have increased by about 59% compared to 2020. It is believed that up to 1 million vacancies could be opened in the next decade.

2. Trucks Move America

An estimated 70% of the country’s cargo is transported by commercial trucks, and they carry everything from refrigerators to building materials, from furniture to new cars, from food to medicine, and of course every purchase you make on Amazon or Ebay.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed the population of the United States the importance of the truck driver profession, when almost all consumption happened online and was delivered to their doorstep by a truck. And even with the relaxation of restrictions, the habit remained and the work of the truck drivers continues to grow.

Rail and intermodal transport have been growing in recent years. However, commercial trucks still move most of the goods and materials. Once the cargo is unloaded from the train, who transports to the warehouses and distributes everything? Trucks!

3. Driving is not automated

As technology evolves, wiping out many jobs and positions around the world, the vacancies for truck drivers will only grow. That’s because road transport has been immune to two of the biggest forces affecting the workforce today: automation and offshoring.

You cannot outsource the work of driving a truck to countries with cheaper labor, such as India and China, as is common in the manufacturing of cell phones and clothes.

Also, robots capable of driving and parking a large platform have not yet been created.

There is already research being conducted and projects that aim towards the autonomy of some vehicles and others that are “training” robots so that they can perform according to our needs.  However, we have yet to see anything come from it. 

4. Road transport drives the economy

Many economists look to road transport as an indicator of the overall economic health of a country. When more trucks are moving and freight rates are going up, it is a sign that consumers are still spending and inventory increasing from retailers and manufacturers.

5. Road transport is driven by small companies

Road transport is a small business industry, with 91% of motorized hauliers operating six or fewer trucks. More than 97% of trucking companies have less than 20 trucks. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 493,730 trucking companies operating in the United States in 2016.

The fact is that many of America’s small business owners are single-truck truck drivers.

6. Road transport is a solid career

When compared to the average US household income, driving a truck remains a good way to make a living. According to talent.com, the average salary for a truck driver in the US is $62,400 a year or $32 an hour.

Entry-level jobs start at $46,857 a year, while more experienced workers earn up to $85,544 a year. An experienced truck driver in a large company, however, can make more than $100,000 a year.