How much do truck drivers make a week?

You may want to switch jobs or start a career without taking loans for education. You can also be an immigrant with a work visa who looks for an accessible job. In either case, you may get interested in truck driving. The industry looks stable and growing, about 80% of the cargo is hauled across the country by trucks, and the number of employed drivers does not seem to decrease. So, is getting truck driver training actually worth it? The salary of a truck driver is mostly paid per mile. In the United States, the average mile cost is $0.49. But it can vary considerably depending on the following conditions:

• The operating mode. Owner-operator driver charges more than company or solo driver, so their gross income is larger. However, they are also those who cover the expenses (tech maintenance, fuel, etc.), so the net profits are another story.
• Route type. It is mostly about how long is the drive. OTR freights take up to several weeks, talking here about moving the products to another end of the country. Regional routes mean mostly going to another state, and local drives are within one state. Not everyone is ready to be absent from home for days and weeks, therefore, the paycheck for those routes has to be more attractive.
• The class of the commercial driver’s license. If you have a class A CDL, it clears you for operating bigger and heavier vehicles that are used for more profitable freights.
• Mileage. Obviously, the route type determines both how much one gets per mile and how many miles will be there to drive. While long-haul routes may demand to cover up to 6,000 miles a week, local trips are usually something about 2,500 miles. It is all up to the driver and the challenges he is ready to face for a higher paycheck: many hours behind the wheel, away from home, etc.
• Experience. It is valuable in any career. Also, without a good driving record many high-paid jobs can be denied because they demand skill and responsibility.
• The common rule of more liability meaning better payment works here as well. Additional certificates, such as a TWIC card, will allow you to apply for such jobs.
• Being in a union means you get more protection and better working conditions.
• Expertise. Having deep knowledge of a specific working aspect is a valuable asset for you. In truck driving, it could be federal and state laws regarding hazardous or oversized cargo. Remember, rare is expensive.

Let us assume that the driver makes 3,000 miles per week with average pricing. Their weekly income will be $1,470. If they took a vacation once or twice a year and work 50 weeks in total, their average annual profit will be $73,500. But there are still companies with their own truck fleet offering up to $3,154 a week and more responsible jobs that are paid higher in general. Therefore, a skilled and responsible worker with a good record may reach the $100,000 value of their yearly income.

Where can one get the professional truck driving training?

You cannot be a truck driver without a CDL, and you cannot get a CDL without applying to a truck driving school. So, if the potential income looks promising for you, you know what your next step is. Enrolling will require you to get a set of valid documents, including something that proves that your country status is legal, like a work visa or a US passport; a DOT certification that your health status is compatible with the job; a driving license of C class; a learner’s permit for truck driving. Most likely, you will also have to fill in an application form, in person or online. Details might differ depending on the teaching enterprise that you choose, but it is the gist of it. The school teaching course will let you know the structural parts of a truck, and how to do a bunch of things, such as:

• basic maintenance operations on a vehicle;
• parking it in different conditions;
• inspecting the truck before heading out;
• driving in a city, etc.
• Then, internal and DMV exams will follow, and, if passed, you will get your CDL in about two weeks or less.

Choosing a truck driving school

If you are determined to start professional truck driving training and looking for a good truck driving school in USA, follow the link and give Start CDL a shot. Here are the advantages that applicants get:

1. Over 8 years of teaching experience and more than 6,700 graduates.
2. Easy employment after graduating with a good skillset and all required documents.
3. Сlasses are held in English and Russian, so it eases the learning process for foreign students. There are also pre-trip teaching materials available in Ukrainian, Punjabi, Polish, Turkish, Uzbek, Hindi, Georgian, and Spanish.
4. Flexible training hours and schedule. The students get to train until they feel confident, and the classes are adjustable to one’s routine, so you can learn while working at your current job.
5. The school offers an affordable hostel near the main training facility.

There are learning programs for automatic and manual gearboxes (the latter allows you to drive vehicles with both manual and auto gearbox types). The student can also upgrade from auto-only to the manual, get a higher CDL class (from B to A), or renew the current one. For those who require an additional consult, Start CDL is always ready to help, offering an online contact form, website chat, or contacting their manager via an e-mail, phone call, or through social: Facebook (Meta) and Instagram. So do not worry and hesitate to ask for more info: they got you!