So – You want to be a driver?

Chattanooga, TN – Let's say you've gone to truck driving school, have your CDL and are looking for a company to begin your new career. Now what? Well, your goal is to become the driver that every recruiter wants. And you do that by doing your research, making your decision and sticking with it no matter what for 12 months.

If you do your research and make a good decision, that commitment will certainly be easier. For the companies you are interested in, talk at length with their drivers and their recruiters. You may also want to talk to a stockbroker or go to web sites to see how the company has performed financially.

Doing your research is important because becoming a job hopper will cost you lots of money. Finding a good company and staying there is critical. Gary Kelley, Vice President of Recruiting at U.S. Xpress estimates that repeated job changes can cost a driver around $150,000 over the course of a career. It's easy to believe, when you consider the impact of repeated lost wages, travel costs and the start up costs. Job hoppers end up going for weeks at a time without income.

Sticking with the company you chose is more likely to happen when you understand the demands of being a new driver. Mr. Kelley says, "Driving school graduates must be prepared to pay their dues. When you get in your own truck four or five weeks down the road, then you can start earning the $700 - $800 a week. One of the toughest things is getting back out of the house after home time. You have to be ready to work after your days off."

Kelley also suggests being wary of a company that's willing to toss you the keys on your first day. Good training should be at least four weeks long. And you should stay on that truck for the entire training period. Plan on being away and make arrangements to deal with things that come up while you are on the road. Your mind needs to be free and clear to concentrate on the job. This is the time where you are learning the skills that will become the foundation of your career.

Talking to people who are already driving is one of the best ways to find out the realities of a driving career. By talking to other drivers about the lifestyle, you can gain a sense of whether life on the road is an appropriate choice for you. Don't take a job based on what you think it's like. Talk to as many people as you can so that being alone in the truck doesn't take you by surprise.

They understand the cycles in the industry, and recognize that freight at every company is high and low at certain parts of the year. A great company will make sure the entire year remains highly profitable to drivers, and will help them to predict these industry wide cycles.

Making a long-term commitment to a company is well worth it. In addition to the stability it brings to a drivers record, pay is affected. A first year driver makes between $35-$45,000. And once you have one year of over the road experience with one company and a good record, you can have just about any job you want.

Gary Kelley agrees. "A driver with one year of experience and a great record can have any position I have available. He or she might be at home every night or every weekend, just depending on the area in which they live."

The right attitude is a valuable asset that will help your first year go by much more smoothly. Be willing to pitch in. Your company's customers are going to ask for extra things. If you can accommodate them, the customer will give your company more business. In the long run, that pays off for both the company and for you.

Choosing to become a driver means you can depend on making a solid, honest living. With that comes responsibility. You have to keep your driving record clean and avoid common "rookie" mistakes such as speeding. New drivers often think they have to go fast to get the miles and in fact, that's not the case at all. It's the classic story of the tortoise and the hare. Be conscientious, dependable, and safe and you'll make a great living and at a great company like U.S. Xpress you'll get the miles. A one-year safety award is the best thing a driver can have on his or her resume. "If I have a position available, a driver like this is exactly who I am looking for" adds Mr. Kelley.

The cream of the crop jobs go to drivers that prove they can make it one year with one employer with no tickets, no accidents, no complaints and no late deliveries. Do these things and you will be the driver that every recruiter is looking for.

"In my 30 years, there has always been a demand for the kind of driver I'm talking about," Kelley says. "In my experience, if a driver stays for one year, he will stay for 10. Plan your work and work your plan."

If you've got one year's experience and a clean Motor Vehicle Record record, U.S. Xpress has some tremendous opportunities for you. The U.S. Xpress fleet consists of more than 5,400 company-owned and independent contractor trucks running throughout the contiguous 48 states.

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