A rebounding American economy is good news for job seekers in almost every industry, but it's great news for those who are considering a career in truck driving.
"Because of the uptick in manufacturing production, more raw materials need to be shipped to plants," says Mike Hinz, vice president at Schneider National, one of the nation's largest truckload carriers. "Once those raw materials are turned into finished products, those goods need to be moved to distribution centers and stores."
With a new study from the American Trucking Associations confirming that trucking is still the most popular shipping mode (carrying nearly 70 percent of all freight moving in the United States), the increased demand on the manufacturing front translates into even greater demand for folks to sit at the wheel of the trucks that haul their goods.
In fact, truck driving is among the fastest growing job sectors in the country, with many analysts saying that over 130,000 positions are waiting to be filled right now. This number is only projected to increase, due to the impending retirements of the large number of baby boomers working in trucking.
"There has never been a better time to get into this line of work," continues Hinz. "Safe, professional drivers—especially those with military backgrounds—have no problem finding a well-paying job."
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary for a truck driver was $54,154 in 2011.
