How getting a truck licence can increase employability
It is no secret that the road transport industry is facing its biggest problem yet: a shortage of truck drivers. Everywhere in Australia, one can see thousands of job vacancies, prompting haulage companies and other businesses to look for ways to attract the right applicants. Some businesses are offering big salaries to qualified truck drivers. So, what does this mean to drivers who carry the appropriate truck licences?
Companies are offering bigger salaries to drivers with truck licences.
Job searching platform Seek lists more than 13,000 truck driver jobs throughout Australia. With a shortage problem this big, companies are rethinking their strategy for attracting the right candidates. Businesses have started to offer an annual salary of up to $150,000 to drivers with truck licences and other qualifications. According to Seek, a road train driver receives $105,000 to $125,000 in annual salary on average.
Trucking companies are thinking outside the box.
Everything is evolving, and this includes the transportation industry. Businesses have started using social media to attract more qualified truck drivers and reach a wider audience. It is a good way to get the word out, because social media posts are easier to forward or send to family and friends who might be interested in applying for the job.
The new apprenticeship program for those who want to become licenced truck drivers
The Australian government launched a new apprenticeship program for heavy vehicle driving to address the worsening truck driver shortage. It aims to professionalise the industry by preparing student drivers to obtain their truck licences and attract younger adults into the trucking industry through a structured program.
The apprenticeship program does not just involve the practical driving skills but the safety, administration, and digital skills necessary for the future industry as well.
According to many trucking companies, they have been receiving calls every day from prospective students who want to know where to can sign up for the program.
The apprenticeship program aims to create a qualification that is recognised nationally and offers a supervised learning experience while training on-the-job. Its final step is competency-based licensing, thus, increasing the number of younger drivers with truck licences.
Improved conditions for truck drivers
The past few decades have seen a significant improvement in truck drivers’ working conditions. Some people think that drivers do not sleep or eat properly and have no time to shower while on the road. This is not true.
Truck stops in Australia today boast of clean toilets and showers, with hot, healthy meals that drivers can enjoy to sustain themselves. Some truck stops have rooms and cabins where one can stay the night comfortably. There are also truck stops with campsites for those who want to sleep in their own tent.
The technology available now makes truck driving a much more comfortable job than it was back in the day. The pay is also better nowadays to entice more people to sign up for the job.
Heavy vehicle driving is not a job – it is a lifestyle.
Some truck drivers travel from one end of the country to another, often going through remote locations and even crossing crocodile-inhabited rivers. This involves driving for days on end, stopping only for meals and rest. Even with the lack of drivers, employers urge those who wish to apply to consider these conditions before they go through with their application.
Some trucking companies are looking for drivers who are in the industry for the lifestyle rather than the wage.
Having a truck licence can help improve one’s career.
Those who enjoy working as heavy vehicle drivers often want to share their knowledge and experience with those who want to learn. Often, those with truck licences have been on the job for years. In fact, the average age now for truck drivers is 54, and this is increasing every year.
It is not uncommon in the transportation industry to tap these drivers with truck licences as they near retirement. Some of them pursue more training to become certified to teach at a truck driving school, while others take on a management role. As a result, they have the experience and first-hand information that the company, and the industry, can use to recruit younger drivers to train for the job.
Driver shortage is a global phenomenon.
The lack of truck drivers has been an increasing problem for some time. The entire country is experiencing this problem. No matter the industry, shortages are happening across the board. It is not confined to Australia, either. Other countries, the U.S. included, are also dealing with this problem. It is such a major issue that US retail giant Walmart is offering their new drivers US$110,000 or $149,000 in their first year in the company. This is good news for drivers who have truck licences.
Work with CS Transport Training to get your truck licence.
If you want to train to receive your truck driver licence, call CS Transport Training. We are based in Newcastle and are locally owned and operated. We can put our 30 years of experience in the transport and dangerous goods industry in Australia to work for you.
In addition to truck licencing and training courses, we offer associated courses such as dangerous goods awareness and dangerous goods licence courses, forklift licencing, elevated work platform licencing, and much more. We cater to customers in Newcastle, Central Coast, Hunter Region, Port Stephens, and the Mid North Coast. We can go to you to conduct this training (minimum attendees and conditions apply). Fill out our contact form to send us a message or call 0434 366 758 today to learn more.