Have you ever thought of how to become a Truck driver? Are you one of those that since kids were dreaming of becoming a Truck Driver while playing with the giant truck toy?

Well, we have 10 ultimate secrets to share with you in how to become a truck driver. All these are necessary for you to know if you are considering a trucking career.

If you are determined nothing of this will look like an obstacle. But, a challenge that you need to pass in order to pursue your dream and something that will make you more successful.

I am sure you already know that having a truck driving license is the one crucial thing. And without which you cannot even think on how to become a truck driver.

But, there are many more small and big secrets that will make your path to becoming a truck driver easier. Therefore, do not be hesitant. Just read our 10 secrets and we assure you, if you follow them, you will be able to achieve your goals without problem.

Know What To Expect As Salary

Common saying is that being in the trucking industry will give you a lot of money. Everyone knows that truck drivers earn pretty good amount of money.

But even though this is true, we would advise you not to get into this job just because of the money. That will not sustain you on the long run. That is not the way how to become a truck driver.

This sooner or later will not be a motivation enough and you might eventually not be happy with your job and quit. Therefore, a true passion for this job is needed. Loving this job and enjoying every moment of it is what will make your days feel as if you are not working at all.

Even though being a truck driver eventually offers you a great income, do not expect that amount from the very start.

But, this also depends on many factors. It depends in which company you work, as well as how many hours you work. And, another important thing is, it depends what kind of truck you drive and what are the goods you are transporting.

Of course, driving a dry van and a Class 8 truck will not be the same. Not to mention if you transport oil or hazardous materials in general. That will instantly make your income bigger. As well as long hauling of any kind of goods.

And if you get to be a rookie driver, the annual salary will approximately be $40,000. So, make sure you do the right choices regarding what you drive and what you transport.

Weigh The Trucking Job Pros And Cons

As in any other profession, in the trucking business there are good and bad sides too. What will be very important and on what you need to focus is the fact that all the good sides are exactly what you need and all the bad sides are something you can live with.

For most people, most truck drivers of course, the pros and cons are more or less the same.

So make sure you read other people’s experiences before you make any conclusion.

Therefore, the most common pro, besides the good salary, is the freedom of travel. Which people love and appreciate. The fact that they do not have to deal with any boss that will stand around their office desk constantly is a dream come true.

Next thing is the cheap training. The training to become a truck driver is very inexpensive and basically anyone can do it.

Additionally, there is no experience needed to start working in the trucking industry.

On the other hand, the cons are things related to the job directly that maybe you will find difficult to cope with. Therefore, you need to know exactly what you are getting involved into.

Some of the cons are things such as long driving hours. Which also comes with time away from family and friends. And, of course, the biggest problem of truckers, dealing with loneliness.

Talk With Experienced Truck Drivers

The best way how to become a truck driver, and I mean a good truck driver is with experience. Or, to talk to experienced ones. So, do not hesitate to have a chat with a driver every time you have the opportunity.

Besides, truckers are very friendly and will help you in any way possible. Moreover, that is one way how to make friends and beat loneliness on the roads. Any time you stop at a truck stop you will have with who to pass time, play games, etc.

Furthermore, you will have who to ask for advice about anything. And I mean really about anything. From best on road restaurants where you can have a good food without the need to go far from your route. To where to find the cheapest fuel on the route you travel.

There are always some tips and tricks you can learn from the experienced truck drivers. So, make sure you ask everything that is unclear to you. As well as asking for additional tips.

Study The State Commercial Driver’s Manual

When you have decided to become a commercial driver, in this case a truck driver of course, the best is to be prepared. And how else can you learn how to become a truck driver if not by reading the state commercial driver’s manual.

This manual will be extremely useful to you as a beginner. You can find answers to many questions there such as controlling speed and managing space. But also commercial driver’s license test.

When you have decided to become a commercial driver, in this case a truck driver of course, the best is to be prepared. And how else can you learn how to become a truck driver if not by reading the state commercial driver’s manual.

This manual will be extremely useful to you as a beginner. You can find answers to many questions there such as controlling speed and managing space. But also commercial driver’s license test.

Meet basic physical and legal qualifications

You might be surprised from the fact that there are actual physical requirements for truck drivers. And they are of course setup by law.

So, the physical requirements or qualifications that every truck driver needs to meet are the blood pressure ranges. Also, any illness that requires needle injection is not allowed. Only oral medications are allowed. These illnesses would be diabetes, blood sugar problems, cardiac issues or sleep apnea.

Though, for vision and hearing it is allowed for you to use any types of aids so you can meet the necessary requirements.

Moreover, when it comes to the legal requirements they need to be able to fulfill the minimum hours which are described from the Federal motor carrier safety administration (FMCSA). All drivers must follow the HOS (Hours of service) Regulations when it comes to driving a CMV (commercial motor vehicle).

So, some of those regulations are that the vehicle needs to weighs 10,001 pounds or more. Also, when it comes to transporting hazardous materials, it is important to fulfill with the regulations. Such as that transporting hazardous materials needs to be in a quantity requiring placards.

Sign Up For A Truck Driving School

Once you have completely decided that you will become a truck driver and pursue that career, first thing necessary is to sign up for a truck driving school. That is the first and biggest step on how to become a truck driver.

First step to becoming a truck driver is to find a suitable truck driving school where you can obtain your CDL. Firstly, you need to search for a good school that will be in your area, so that would be easier to you to proceed with the classes.

But, also check for schools with good CDL training programs. Some of them even offer individual classes. That would be a great opportunity for you to learn more and better. Since, the instructor will be focused on you and you only.

And of course, if you are not 21 years of age or older do not even check on how to become a truck driver, since this is the one and only requirement you cannot skip or try to find a solution.

Pass the CDL exam

Passing the CDL exam as we mentioned earlier is the most important thing for you to do. It might not work from the first time but give yourself another chance at least.

Sometimes it can be due to stress or any other external factor that does not depend on you at that particular moment. So do not be too harsh on yourself.

Passing the CDL also depends on your school’s instructor. Therefore, make sure you are going to one of the best schools in your area. As well as you pay attention of course to the class.

And most important is practice. You need to practice for your CDL exam. If you ask yourself how to become a truck driver, this is the main answer. Practice well and make sure you are feeling comfortable in the truck.

This is very crucial since you are about to start a career where you need to pass many hours in a truck. Therefore, make sure you feel like home in the truck.

Pass the FMCSR exam

The FMCSR exam is all about the DOT (Department of transportation) medical exam and commercial motor vehicle certification. This exam, of course, needs to be performed by a certified medical staff.

Everyone included from the medical field are doctors such as advanced practice nurses, doctors of medicine, chiropractic, physicians and osteopathy doctors.

What you need to know is that you must be passing this exam every 24 months. Or that would be every two years you need to make sure you pass all these tests.

Therefore, you can see how keeping yourself healthy can benefit not only your health but also if you will keep your job or not.

In some cases, the examiners can issue a certificate that will last less than 24 months, so less than two years. This goes for those truckers that already have issues with blood pressure or any other condition that will be potentially dangerous to be on the road with.

Look for a Good Trucking Company

How to become a truck driver is not the only thing important. It is also very important what you will do next. But to be more precise, what you will work, or better yet at which company you will work. Make sure you choose a good company.

This can of course influence the way your career will develop as well as many other things. Such as salary, working conditions, health insurance and life insurance and more.

Therefore, you must make a research when it comes to applying and accepting a job at a certain company. We would advise you to make a thorough research and make sure the company follows the necessary regulations.

But, not only that. It is necessary that this company really takes care of you as a part of it. Make sure you discuss every problem or maybe desires you have and if you do agree, it is necessary that they would comply with the promises.

We would also advise you, to not only check online, but if possible to get in touch with drivers that work or have worked there and see the good and bad sides from the company. And how people really see it, which are or have been working there.

Get Hired

Once you found your favorite company or maybe companies, next step is to apply for a job position. And make sure you get hired of course.

It is always difficult for someone that have no experience to start a new job. But no need to be worried, because in the trucking industry everyone gets a chance.

That is one very good thing about trucking industry. You do not need to have experience to get hired. Experience can only get to you into better jobs and better companies where you will get better payment.

But surely you will not be with no job just because the fact that you do not have experience.

We gave you above all the tips on how to become a truck driver. This special task on getting hired we are leaving it to you and your individual needs.

The only advice regarding this that we can give you is to be confident and to do not think you are less only because you have no experience in trucking. The more confidence you show the more others will appreciate you and will think you are the one for that job because of your motivation.

Conclusion

As mentioned previously, in this article we showed you the most important rules and tricks on how to become a truck driver. Not it all depends on you, your personal decision and motivation.

You need to make sure you are committed and know what exactly to expect when you pursue this career. You should not be caught up saying that you expected something different than what it is.

Because it is a difficult and a hard job and it takes a lot of time away from family, you need to make sure this is what you want. Of course, it will pay off at the end. But you need to be able to sustain that and what is also necessary is to have support from your family in what you are doing.

If they can understand and you are willing to do it and moreover enjoy it, this will surely be your dream job. And will allow you and your loved ones to live a dream lives. Good luck!