If you've lost your job and you're struggling to find work again in the same field, try not to panic. There are always other career avenues you may not have yet explored. One such option is truck driving. Here's why it makes a great second career for people who find themselves out of work.
You Can Get Your Licence Quickly
When you've lost your job unexpectedly, your need to find a new one can quickly become desperate. When savings are running out, the last thing you want to do is return to formal education and begin retraining for years. Truck driving is a great second career for those who have been laid off because you can begin within a matter of weeks. Requirements can vary from state to state, but in most cases, you only need to have held a car licence for two years to qualify for a heavy rigid truck licence. For a medium rigid truck licence, that requirement is lowered to just one year. As such, you'll be able to get started on training right away. Better yet, even if you have no prior truck driving experience, training can take as little as 12 hours—and some truck driving schools allow you to cover all these lessons in just one day. There are few quicker ways to get back on your feet than to become a truck driver.
You'll Make Good Money From the Start
One of the worst parts of starting a new career is that you have to work your way back up from the bottom. This means you'll be starting at an entry-level salary once again. That's why you should look for a new job that has a higher-than-average starting salary, and truck driving is one such option. On average, entry-level truck drivers make $29.59 AUD per hour. If you work a typical 38 hour week, that gives you a salary of over $55,000 a year, even when you account for two weeks of holiday. In contrast, the national minimum wage in Australia is just $18.93 per hour—less than $40,000 AUD per year. This is the wage you could expect to be paid at other quick-start jobs with no degree required, such as restaurant and retail jobs, so it's clear that truck driving will get you much better pay at the start.
You Can Work For Yourself
For many people, losing a job brings a great sense of insecurity—not just in the present, but for the future. You've lost your job once; how can you be sure you won't get laid off again? Truck driving is a great second career option because you no longer have to put your faith and job security in a boss. If you want to, you can easily work for yourself. Truck driving through a carrier company is the quickest and easiest way to get started, but there's always plenty of work available for 'freelance' truckers who want to go it alone. With a truck licence, you never have to worry about losing your job again, because if you do you have the skills and resources needed to be your own boss.
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