According to a story last month that ran in USA Today, more and more women are choosing to enter the trucking industry.
How Many Women are Currently Professional Truck Drivers?
This article details how there are currently 217,000 long-haul women truck drivers in America and that 6.2% of all truck drivers were women in 2017. This number is up from 4.9% since 2008.
What’s the Average Salary for a Truck Driver?
In 2019, the average annual salary of a long-haul truck driver was close to about $53,000 as of last year. This figure has increased by $7,000 since 2016.
What Are Some Other Factors That Are Influencing Women to Get Into the Industry?
Besides being able to earn a huge income, there are several other factors that have influenced more women to become truck drivers.
First off, more women are seeing
other women become successful in the trucking industry. Since more women are becoming the head of their respective households, modern technology has enabled them to be able to manage their households from afar for extended periods of time.
In addition, millennial women are deciding against pursing a traditional college education that will require them to take out student loans. Even so, they're realizing that becoming a truck driver allows them the opportunity to get out of serious debt quicker.
What Are the Requirements to Become a Truck Driver?
According to federal law, in order to qualify for a Commercial Driver’s License or Commercial Learner Permit (CLP), applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be at least 18 years of age to drive & at least 21 years of age to cross
state lines - Pass a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug screen
- Possess a valid Ohio driver’s license
- Be a legal U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Pass a DOT physical which is given by a licensed medical professional that is registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Where Can I Get the Training I Need to Become a Truck Driver?
Hocking College in Nelsonville, OH offers students the opportunity to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License Certificate. In only six weeks, students can graduate and can make their way into this profitable industry.
For more information about this program, contact CDL Training Manager, Elizabeth Gardner, by email at gardnere@hocking.edu or by phone at (740) 753-6148.
