Career - Truck Driver, Shawn Greshon

At STAAR Foundation's Career Youth Day, a highly replicable model, Shawn Greshon, a professional truck driver, shared his occupation and the opportunities therein, e.g., as a “transitional” job while continuing postsecondary education.

Greshon, who has driven two years for Pepsi, earned $48,000 last year. He does have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Since truck driving jobs “don’t require more than a high school education,” truck driving gives students “the opportunity to make a fair wage while going to school. Some trucking companies even offer college tuition assistance,” Greshon stated.  

Truck driving does involve a clean driving record, a written test, a driving test, a minimum age, certain physical qualifications, and often random drug testing. [Keeping your record clean matters regardless of career!]

U.S. Department of Transportation

Car haulers, the drivers of semi trucks hauling cars, can earn $100,000 a year here, but they must have more licenses, endorsements and training for many companies.

Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) driver training, which endorses higher knowledge of regulations and more responsibilities of drivers, may cost $5,000 at the driver’s expense. Coca Cola and Pepsi , for example, can train drivers for the CMV.

“Further education is necessary for those who haul fuel or hazardous wastes,” Greshon commented.

“Testing a driver’s knowledge base is key to safety,” he added.

Explore online to learn more. Talk to commercial truck drivers. So many different areas of driving exist, e.g., long haul or short haul; flatbed, tanker, refrigerated, auto and others; sizes by weight, and so on.

Trucking can also be a career, in which a driver rises to higher levels. It can also be the basis of a trucking company, e.g., Sapulpa’s John Christner Trucking (JCT), begun with only two trucks and the founder’s twenty years’ experience as an over the road driver. Starting, maintaining, and growing a business, however, requires much work and worry.  http://www.johnchristner.com/?r=about&abt=companyhistory

[General information below. Oklahoma may have other steps.]

How to Get a Truck License 

If you want to become a professional truck driver, you should get a Commercial Driver's License (CDL). The main requirement to get this type of license is to take written exams including general knowledge test, an air brakes test, and the combination vehicle test.

Many people like to take the optional endorsement tests for hazardous materials, tankers, and double and triple trailers, in the event of transporting dangerous products. If you are still a student, you have to travel with a CDL-licensed driver since permits only last six months. 

1.eere.energy.gov

The next step after having the permit is to learn how to drive a truck. There are specialized schools that may teach you how to maneuver the truck because you have to demonstrate in the tests that you are able to park, back, inspect the vehicle before driving it, and conduct an air brake test.

In order to pass all these tests, you should acquire a lot of information so that your knowledge goes beyond what is required.

The best recommendation is to attend classes in a school that offers a complete combination of interactive activities such as computer-based training, prepared instructors, and practices on CDL tests.

Remember that you are paying for receiving good preparation, so do not hesitate to ask as many questions as you can.

http://www.fullfleet.com/article/1722   Ret. 4-2-14