The USA is crying out for more professional drivers.
Taxicab operators, delivery truck drivers, tow truck drivers, and truckers are all in short supply, with the latter experiencing such a shortage in personnel that Bloomberg has signaled a trucking crisis.
This is, of course, good news for those looking for a new job – with demand comes opportunity and good wages.
Driving has inherent risks, of course, and being aware of these risks prior to joining the industry will enable you to effectively manage them.
Legal Protection
Professional driving necessitates a lot of time on the road, and that increases your risk of accident and injury.
Whether an injury occurs or not you can land yourself in hot water when it comes to accidents – USA Today highlights one accident in Texas in which a semi-truck collided with a train and the liability that occurred in that scenario.
In this case, a good quality 18 wheeler accident attorney would help to ensure due process is followed and that justice is applied evenly.
Ensure you follow the same lesson – have good quality insurance, and access to legal help.
A Growth Mindset
Fleets across the country are being upgraded to meet green goals. This is true whether it’s Amazon’s Rivian-powered delivery fleet, Uber and Lyft’s hybrid-focused goals, or federal changes like the all-electrification of the GSA fleet.
EVs and smart cars are the future and you need to be able to operate them, maintain them, and be aware of upcoming trends and vehicles that could shape how you work.
Diverse Licenses
Professional drivers don’t necessarily stick to one industry. Semi-truck drivers will frequently look to scale up by moving into full trucking, and downsizes again after that as businesses look to pay more for talent.
Having a license with several different vehicle classes on it, and looking to pick up new skills whenever you can, will make you a flexible and valuable driver.
You can also consider picking up auxiliary skills – there is well-paid work to be done as a protection driver, for instance, that will require more advanced skills than basic driving.
Takeaway
Simply put, there are huge opportunities in professional driving right now.
There simply aren’t enough workers willing to get behind the wheel and make a real impact on the labor shortage, and that means the opportunity has been created.
