It might surprise you to learn that there are huge shortages across the professional driving industry – despite the ever present need to transport people and goods from A to B. According to USA Today, there are 60,000 trucking job vacancies alone – that’s without factoring in the taxi driver drought in San Francisco, or highway patrolman shortage in Utah.
With the industry in such rude health and with so many vacancies there to be snapped up, driving could be for you, especially if you love driving. Driving professionally is not to be taken lightly, and requires good personal fitness levels and concentration. If you have that, each role has its own caveats. However, if you meet them, it could be the job for you.
Becoming A Courier
The courier and messenger profession has existed as long as the post has in America. In the modern day US, couriers can expect to earn $30,000 according to the Labor Bureau, and getting started is as easy as having a vehicle of any sort. Owning an auto with a higher cargo capacity will of course make it easier to take on a wider range of jobs. As you build a reputation as a courier, you can start branching into other industries. A clean license, good reputation and well maintained vehicle can see you finding work as a medical courier, for example, which carries a higher fee than everyday courier work. Non-emergency dispatchers, for instance roadside rescue, can earn up to $50,000.
The taxi driver
Taxi driving is undoubtedly tough work but can be lucrative. One of the professions where you can, relatively speaking, earn as much as you like, cab driving is nevertheless a hard work profession – top earning cabbies work 12 hours daily, 6 days a week. To get started, you will need any checks and licenses demanded by the state and city you are working in. For example, New York’s iconic taxi drivers need a city medallion. Like the courier profession, a professional, ambitious and hardworking taxicab driver can find themselves as a private chauffeur earning over $35,000 per year in exchange for working unsociable hours.
Working for the police
Police patrolmen are in wide shortage around the country. Florence, SC, actually disbanded its traffic section, according to local news. The role is lucrative, and can pay up to $80,000 for experienced motorcycle officers. Requirements are more stringent than other driving professions, with a high school diploma or GED is necessary for starters. Then, candidates should be prepared to attend and pass the police academy. Once you’re in, there are of course numerous paths to progression, as you are not shoehorned into driving for your entire career.
So, is driving for you? There are a huge range of roles based around the highways and roads that create America’s modern network of cities. Hauling cargo, couriers or policing the roads is just the start, and you could be paid well for something you love doing.
