Trucking industry to fill thousands of job openings

Trucking companies around the country are looking to fill hundreds of thousands of open jobs. The trucking industry is expected to experience a 20 percent growth in the coming years.

The average truck driver earns a starting salary of $38,000 per year, which is $4,000 more than the national median wage. As technology advances, the job requirements for a truck driver continue to change, according to Syracuse ABC News affiliate WSYR.

"In today’s day and age, truck drivers are more high-tech," said Dennis Plucinik, from Gypsum Express trucking company. "They have to deal with computers inside of the truck, the electronic engines, the way the trucks are driven. It’s all satellite based."

Programs like CDL training prepare new hires for life on the road, with courses in compliance training, trucker health and trucking safety, according to a recent report by CNNMoney. Becoming a truck driver requires a lot of preparation, including earning a commercial driver’s license and up to 500 hours of training behind the wheel.

Justin Zelias, a new truck driver, is optimistic about his position.

“Without trucks, the economy just sort of stops,” Zelias told WSYR. “You get an office with a view. You get to see stuff.”

Trucking industry to fill thousands of job openings

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012