When a clothing manufacturer adds new sewing machines to the factory floor, what does that mean? It means they intend to make more clothes. When farmers add more equipment to their barns that means they are planning to produce more crops. Following this logic to its natural end suggests that a trucking industry adding more trucks is anticipating more freight to haul. Indeed, that is the case right now.
Numbers from February are very encouraging for the trucking industry. According to Trucks.com, orders for the heaviest trucks in North America rose 28% year-on-year and 5% over January. The number of class 8 vehicles sold to trucking companies in February increased to 22,900. That is a lot of trucks.
Even more encouraging is the fact that orders for new trucks have risen now for four straight months. There are enough orders now in the pipeline that manufacturers are backed up by more than 100,000 units. That’s the first time that has happened since early last summer.
Now Is a Good Time to Get Started
Economic indicators show that the U.S. economy is starting to gain strength. Orders for consumer goods are up, companies are hiring again, and people have a more optimistic outlook about their own financial positions. So many good signs can only mean the economy is expanding more quickly and robustly than it has over the last few years.
Now is a good time to get started in the trucking industry, thanks to the improving economy. Let’s say you’re a young person just getting ready to embark on your career. You can choose to go to the CDL school to get your commercial driver’s license, then come to work for us here at C.R. England. You will already have a lot of things working in your favor on your first day on the job. For example:
- Competitive Pay – Industry analysts expect driver pay to go up this year. Drivers already can earn as much as $45,000 their first year, and pay only goes up from there. Driver pay will continue to increase as long as the economy continues expanding.
- Excellent Equipment – The best trucking companies in the industry take care of their drivers by providing the best equipment they can. That’s one of the reasons new truck orders have increased by double digits. Getting started now means driving a late model machine that is truly an experience unto itself.
- Job Stability – The trucking industry is already short tens of thousands of qualified drivers, and that shortage could get worse as the economy grows. That means job stability for the truck driver who works hard, drives safely and meets employer expectations.
- Room for Advancement – Lastly, trucking is a career that offers numerous opportunities for advancement. Long-haul truckers can put in the miles and work their way up the ladder to eventually become regional or dedicated drivers, driver trainers, dispatchers and even management.
Professional truck driving is an excellent career choice for all different kinds of people. It is a job that lets you earn competitive pay along with the added benefits of travel and working independently. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t like to be tied down, trucking may be the ideal career for you.
C.R. England is currently recruiting solo drivers, team drivers, and even new drivers without CDLs. We put new drivers through a Premier Truck Driving Schools training program before bringing them onboard to complete their training on-the-job. All graduates of Premier are guaranteed jobs with C.R. England as long as they meet hiring requirements.
Sources:
Trucks.com – https://www.trucks.com/2017/03/03/trucking-industry-rebound-truck-orders-rise/
