Obtaining a class a CDL could be the key to gaining access to an abundance of new job opportunities. Opportunities that are available to Class A CDL holders can be fulfilling in multiple ways.
Not only are Class A CDL jobs high-paying, but they also provide drivers with the chance to contribute to society in ways they may have never considered before. Let’s talk about even more facts regarding the types of jobs you can get with a CDL!
What Is a CDL?
Commonly referred to as a CDL, a commercial driver’s license gives drivers permission to operate heavy equipment and machinery. Some examples of the types of equipment that Class A CDLs allow drivers to operate include semi-trucks, vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds, and trailers exceeding 10,000 pounds.
How Does a CDL Work?
There are three different CDL classifications, including Class A, Class B, and Class C CDLs. Class A CDLs are required for truck drivers operating vehicles with a gross vehicle weight that is greater than 26,000 pounds or a tower capacity above 10,000 pounds.
Class B CDLs provide the same permissions as class A CDLs except for the fact that vehicles that class B CDLs allow drivers to operate don’t have trailers attached. Those vehicles often include tow trucks, buses, delivery trucks, and dump trucks.
Class C CDLs allow drivers to operate vehicles that can carry 16 or more passengers or vehicles used to transport hazardous materials.
Can You Get Non-Trucking Jobs With a CDL?
Although most class CDL jobs are associated with roles as drivers, there are non-trucking job opportunities that require applicants to have their CDL. Jobs that require a CDL even in a non-trucking role often include supervisory or maintenance-related roles.
9 Jobs You Can Get With a CDL
The opportunities that are available to people with a CDL are immense. Class A CDL jobs and Class B and C CDL jobs are all available in high volume. Let’s take a closer look at CDL jobs below.
Commercial Truck Driver
Perhaps one of the more obvious job opportunities available to people with a CDL is the role of a commercial truck driver. Commercial truck drivers haul goods ranging from food and medicine to hazardous chemicals. This role entails extended periods away from home, but it also allows drivers to see different parts of the country due to the heavy amounts of interstate driving involved.
Average Annual Salary: $74,087
Local Delivery Driver
Given the recent rise in popularity of online shopping, the role of delivery drivers has become more crucial than ever. Companies like UPS, FedEx, and USPS are constantly hiring.
They do this in the hopes of adding to their talent pool of drivers capable of completing orders in a timely fashion. Some of the items local delivery drivers are responsible for transporting include furniture, clothing, and electronics.
Average Annual Salary: $63,498
Bus Driver
Bus Drivers have the option to work for a specific region or municipality, or for a local school district. Sometimes, there are also opportunities to operate a sightseeing bus to showcase tourist destinations to newcomers in certain cities.
Drivers who purchase their own bus have the ability to spread their entrepreneurial wings by hosting party buses or developing transportation services of their own.
Average Annual Salary: $39,704
Short and Long Haul Truck Drivers
Short-haul truck drivers tend to make trips that are shorter intervals and closer to home. Typically, short-haul drivers transport shipments that are within a radius of about 150 miles.
Long haul drivers on the other hand make trips over longer intervals which leads them to make hauls that are further from home.
Average Annual Salary: $77,056
Transportation Supervisor
The primary goal of a transportation supervisor is to generally ensure that everything is flowing in a timely and orderly fashion. Since that’s the case, just about every trucking or logistics company needs a transportation supervisor they can rely on.
The role as a transportation supervisor is ideal for people who have their CDL but prefer not to spend their time on the clock on the road driving.
Average Annual Salary: $53,193
Construction Equipment Operator
Construction job sites can be dangerous places. That’s why knowing how to operate the equipment necessary for completing jobs makes an employee a valuable asset.
Construction equipment operators typically operate machinery like concrete mixers and cement trucks since they have the training needed for knowing how to operate one safely.
Average Annual Salary: $47,432
Truck Driving School Instructors
A highly rewarding career choice for drivers holding their CDL is becoming a truck driving school instructor. Becoming a truck driving school instructor could be the perfect career choice for people looking for an alternative to trucking.
Serving as a truck driving school instructor allows drivers who are no longer interested in spending their time on the road the chance to share their knowledge with truck drivers of tomorrow who are eager to learn the rules of the road.
Average Annual Salary: $52,320
Highway Maintenance Technician
Highway maintenance technicians are a highly underappreciated role in today’s society. They’re responsible for maintaining equipment that keeps drivers safe on the road.
Some of the duties that highway maintenance technicians are responsible for include changing light bulbs and snow plow blades, checking tires for air pressure, and making sure equipment is ready to be used by performing pre-trip inspections.
Average Annual Salary: $41,953
Terminal Manager
Terminal managers play a pivotal role in making sure that shipments are successful. The primary responsibility of terminal managers is making sure freight is loaded and unloaded in trucking centers. One of the most crucial aspects of their daily routine is supervising the cargo loading and unloading process with the goal of minimizing damage as much as possible.
Average Annual Salary: $51,000
Where to Get More Information About What Jobs You Can Get With a CDL
There’s a wide variety of both driving and non-driving CDL jobs. Whether you’re searching for Class A CDL jobs or Class B and C CDL jobs, TruckDrivingJobs is the #1 resource to help you find a gig in the trucking world – it’s where the best drivers go to find jobs. To get connected with your next role, visit TruckDrivingJobs.com today.
FAQ
No, you cannot get your CDL permit fully online. Some schools offer CDL courses online, but time on the road in a truck can only be obtained in-person.
Becoming a Class A truck driver typically takes about 160 hours in total.
The average truck driver salary in 2020 was $47,130.
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