What is a Dedicated Driver?
Dedicated Drivers Enjoy More Home Time
There are many ways to launch your truck driving career. If you’re looking for a high-paying opportunity with more home time, consider looking at available dedicated driver positions in the industry. Learn more about this trucking position and its benefits. See how you can prepare for your CDL exam in about a month.
Job Requirements
Your role is more than just a driver. A dedicated truck driver position may also require interaction with the customer, such as loading or unloading the freight. Some routes may require you to lift items or operate additional equipment to load and unload your truck.
If you enjoy different tasks on the job, a dedicated driver position may be a great career option for you. Climb out of your cab and spend some time moving materials for a refreshing change of pace. Long-haul drivers typically spend more time behind the wheel and less time performing different tasks.
Some dedicated positions require no interaction with freight, so you can stay behind the wheel and focus on driving professionally. Look for one of these positions if you’re not interested in physically moving items or using additional equipment to move pallets, boxes, and crates of freight.
Alternative Routes
Not all Class A CDL drivers take on dedicated routes. Alternative trucking careers take on routes for a number of different customers. Both positions can require routes that take you over 250 miles away from your home base, often for days at a time.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Dedicated Driver?
These popular routes offer several benefits for experienced and first-time drivers. Consider a career as a dedicated professional driver to enjoy these benefits.
More Home Time
Dedicated drivers typically haul freight for a primary customer. This means you’ll typically have a more consistent schedule. Some dedicated positions include OTR routes, while others stay within your region.
Consistent Regional Routes
Familiar routes help you feel confident as a driver. Dedicated positions take the same or similar paths to and from consistent clients. Get to know traffic patterns, road work, and other unique characteristics of the roads around your region.
Competitive Pay
Compare the salary and benefits of dedicated routes to other positions to see how much you can expect to earn in a dedicated driver position. The amount you earn depends on the freight you’re delivering, your experience, and your regional area.
Dedicated drivers typically make more than standard OTR drivers but they typically need an experienced driver for the position.
For more competitive pay and benefits, consider adding endorsements to your CDL license. These allow you to pick up high-paying freight, like hazardous materials or tankers, to earn more on the same routes.
How Can You Become a Dedicated Driver?
Roadmaster’s truck driving school offers you the CDL training and assistance you need to launch your career as a dedicated truck driver. Follow these steps to prepare for your CDL and find local, regional, or OTR trucking jobs.
Prepare for Truck Driving School
Truck Driving school can help you train for your CDL in about a month. Start by obtaining a valid regular driver’s license. It would be best if you also had a GED or high school diploma.
You will need to be at least 21 years old to attend truck driving school in order to obtain an interstate Class A CDL. In-house financing is available to those who qualify and you may receive tuition reimbursement from the trucking carrier you work with after graduation to help you pay for school.
Train to Become a Professional Truck Driver
Modern equipment and talented teachers give you hands-on experience preparing to drive automatic transmission trucks. You can start on-the-road driving instruction right away with a commercial learner’s permit as you prepare for your CDL exam.
Earn Your Class A CDL
The three-part CDL Skills Test is required for every commercial driver in order to obtain a CDL. Once you pass this test, you can receive your Class A CDL and become fully licensed to drive dedicated routes in your area.
There are some additional restrictions to receiving and keeping a CDL. Traffic violations, felonies, and other factors may require you to wait a period of time before applying for a CDL or obtaining a job with a trucking company. They can also cause your license to be suspended, so be sure you understand your responsibilities as a commercial driver.
Apply to Train for Your New Career
One of the greatest advantages of training school vs. community college is the expanded career placement assistance and opportunities. Some community colleges work with you to find a career, but training schools offer active hands-on job placement assistance.
Be sure to select a free-choice training program. These programs don’t force you to apply only to a limited pool of carriers but help broaden your career possibilities to work for any eligible carrier.
The application process is typically simple. All trucking carriers will require you to pass a US DOT drug test as part of the hiring process.
How Can Roadmaster Drivers School Help You Launch Your Career?
Are you ready to enjoy more home time and competitive pay as a commercial truck driver? Learn more about the Roadmaster Drivers School program today. See how you can start training for a new career in about a month.