Careers

Over-the-road truck drivers are still mostly comprised of men. However, times are changing, and truck driving jobs for women are on the rise. As the demand for truck drivers increases, the industry is committed to having women to fill hiring needs. According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), 6% of truck drivers are women. At Knight Transportation, 9.9% of our Driver Associates are women, which’s 65% more than other trucking companies! If you're a woman considering a job as a trucker, now is a great time to enter the transportation industry.

The demand for truck drivers in the U.S. remains high. According to the American Trucking Association, the driver shortage will hit 100,000 by 2025 and 160,000 by 2028. As the country starts to get back to "normal", flatbed load volumes continue to build as construction activity and manufacturing begin to pick up. The news of an uptick in flatbed loads is a positive sign that demand will stay strong through the end of the year. With a variety of load types available, a flatbed truck driver has six unique advantages.

Many believe the trucking industry is in for huge growth through the end of the year. As America moves into a new phase with COVID-19, the feeling is consumers are ready to spend money again. A second round of stimulus checks, available vaccines, and summer headed our way, it's very possible there will be even more demand on goods. Truck drivers are positioned to benefit from a rise in demand and the short supply of drivers. Here are four reasons the trucking industry is heating up:

2020 has delivered a new world in the trucking industry. Not only has it re-established who essential workers are, but the year has also confirmed the value of refrigerated truck drivers. Despite lockdowns, shutdowns, and other restrictions, millions of refrigerated products must reach store shelves. With the demand for food, medicine, and other frozen or refrigerated items at an all-time high, there is no better time to drive reefer.

The trucking industry is one of the most challenging sectors in the nation during normal times, without the current events that have tested the world’s resilience.  As Drivers and Owner Operators you spend much of your lives living in the truck, away from your families, home and pets; Isolated, even when it wasn’t a “big brother” requirement.  We hope you know; you are not on the road alone.

Truck driving is a rewarding career in several ways. Getting to see the country and make a good living, you must be diligent in ensuring your body stays fit. Sitting for hours and being away from home means you cannot always eat the way you want or move as much as you would like. Experienced truck drivers take good care of themselves on the road.

Virtual truck driver hiring processes and orientations have been in the works at Knight Transportation for some time. The sudden shift in the way the world works with COVID-19 and social distancing accelerated the timeline. Now, Virtual truck driver orientations are here and available to nearly all newly hired drivers.

A career within the trucking industry provides both a steady income and an adventurous way to see America. Professional truck drivers make on average $43,680 yearly and around $21.00 per hour, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some drivers will make much more than this. In fact, the more experience a driver has, the more they are likely to earn. Here are the outlook and trends for experienced truck drivers.

In the year 2010, there were an estimated 1.6 million tractor-trailer drivers currently employed throughout America. Just two years after that, the number increased to 1.7 million. While that might not seem like a lot just reading the number, in actuality, that increase represents the addition of 50,000 more drivers to the tractor-trailer driver career path each year. By continuing this trend into the future, it is predicted that by the year 2020, there will be an estimated 1.9 million tractor-trailer truck drivers on American roadways.

Today, there are more and more people reaching retirement with little to no savings. Many of these retirees realize, after retiring or when contemplating it, that they need more income than social security provides in order to make ends meet. This has resulted in many retirees returning to the workforce shortly after saying goodbye to their career or starting new careers after leaving the workforce. Rising health care costs, cost of living increases and more has combined to create this phenomenon. Thankfully, there are truck driving careers for people over 50.

Truck driving is an adventurous, fun career choice. Unfortunately, it takes more than a desire to get behind the wheel of a big rig. You need to meet the qualifications to be a truck driver. This requires you to get a CDL license along with other training.