More Than A Number

It’s been noted previously that trucking jobs are faring well in the recession, and recent anecdotal evidence supports this. Leon Jones of Volunteer Training Center, a state-certified career school in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, told a local news source, “This is probably one of the most recession-proof industries someone could get into at the present time.”

Not only are truck driving jobs going strong now, they’re expected to pick up in the coming months as stimulus money becomes available and boosts new construction. This will be especially good news for states on the West Coast that are suffering from high unemployment. More California truck driving jobs, for one, could be a much-needed boon for the golden state, whose 11.2% unemployment rate as of March 2009 was one of the highest in the nation.

As the number of jobs increase, diversity among drivers is increasing, too. Trucking companies are hiring both men and women of all ages, races, and educational backgrounds for truck driving jobs.

The pay for truck drivers can be favorable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers earned a median hourly wage of $16.85 in May 2006. Light or delivery services truck drivers earned $12.17 per hour, and driver/sales workers earned $9.99 per hour.