Should I Get a CDL: Is Trucking Right For Me?

The nice thing about ice cream shops is that you can sample every flavor that you’re interested in before ordering. Goat cheese, honey, and fig? Give it a shot. Lavender with earl grey? Pile it on. Whiskey and pecans? Sign me up. One of the many minor inconveniences that came with the COVID-19 restrictions from a few years back was the disappearance of sampling. I can still remember how difficult it was to make my decision without knowing what it was going to taste like. Those days are thankfully behind us in the ice cream world, but an ice cream shop isn’t the best representation of decision-making in our everyday lives. We don’t get to sample potential careers and job opportunities before committing to them. The best we can do is educate ourselves on the positives and negatives before making an informed decision, but there’s no tiny spoon we can ask for to get a taste of the CDL life.

At New Sound CDL School, we understand that enrolling into a CDL program and investing your time, energy, and finances into getting licensed is no small decision. It’s an investment! But then again, anything worthwhile requires some type of investment. You’re right to wonder whether or not a CDL career is the right path for you. Will you enjoy it? Can you excel at it? Is it a trustworthy path to success? All of these are normal and expected questions to ask. We want to take the time to present an honest assessment of a CDL career that could help you answer some of these questions. If you still have some concerns after reading, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and ask us directly! We’ve been able to help countless students work through their doubts and make great decisions for their future.

Here are some of the clearest pros and cons of getting a CDL that our team has been able to come up with. By the end, we hope you’ll have a clearer idea of whether or not trucking is a good fit for you.

The Positives of Getting a CDL

It’s important to understand that a CDL isn’t just a license, but a resource for new opportunities. There are all sorts of jobs in various industries that you unlock with a CDL. Whether you want to drive big rigs across the country, work at the ports, or stay in town doing daily deliveries, there’s countless openings that require skilled, commercially-licensed drivers. Not only that, you’re adding a valuable, tangible skill to your resume that can boost your attractiveness even outside of the transportation industry. A CDL is a great way to round out your skillset and present yourself as a diverse and talented employee prospect.

1. Great Pay with No College Degree Required

The biggest and clearest benefit to pursuing a CDL is the earning potential that you can quickly unlock. A lot of careers feature a barrier of entry that requires you to complete some type of training or education before you can qualify for the position. Getting licensed with a CDL takes just a few weeks and only $3,175 to $4,675 if you go through our affordable program! Exact length of time and pricing varies depending on which Class of CDL you pursue, whether A-Manual, A-Automatic, or B.

When comparing this to careers that require a four-year college degree or a two-year technical program, the benefit is clear! College degrees and technical programs can also easily set you back tens of thousands of dollars and could require student loans to pay off for years to come. A CDL offers access to high-paying jobs after just a few weeks of intensive training.

• Entry-level truck drivers average a start salary of $72,000 per year upon completing our course.
• Experienced drivers and those with additional endorsements (like HazMat or Tanker) typically make $90,000 or more per year.
• Owner-operators who own their own trucks easily earn six figures every year.

So, if your primary concern is to find the fastest path to a lucrative career, getting a CDL is an incredible option to fulfill your goals.

2. Job Security and High Demand

Technology advancements and innovations are changing the job industry at a rapid pace, so it’s right to be concerned about the long term outlook of the value of a CDL. You can learn more about the outlook of our industry here, but we’ll briefly touch on the basics. In short, trucking is an incredibly stable industry in the United States with a growing network of goods needing to be transported every minute of the day.

• There is a current driver shortage in the U.S. that makes CDL holders even more valuable than usual.
• In the coming years, demand for CDL drivers is only expected to increase with heightened job availability.
• Commercial drivers are an essential component to our nation’s infrastructure and persist through recessions, downturns, and even pandemics.

If job security is among your chief concerns, rest assured that a CDL job is in one of the most secure industries around.

3. Freedom and Independence

Many, many people cannot stand office jobs—and that's okay! Not everyone is wired the same, and the freedom and independence of some trucking jobs is a dream come true for a lot of people. Here are some aspects of a commercial driving career that might appeal to you:

• Less oversight – Instead of having a boss babysit you, a CDL allows you the freedom to be alone on the road as captain of your truck.
• Flexible work schedules – This isn’t always the case, but a lot of CDL jobs allow you to be flexible with your driving schedule, especially if you’re your own boss as an owner-operator!
• New places – Long-haul trucking will give you the opportunity to drive all over the country and see new places while still earning great money.

A typical nine-to-five job where you clock in and out of the same office everyday isn’t appealing to everyone. If you’re looking for something different, a CDL could be the way for you.

4. Different Career Paths

Don’t look at your CDL as the end of your employment journey, but the beginning. If your first CDL position doesn’t quite work for you, there are so many different types of driving roles that you can pursue. After gaining some experience on the road, you can even pivot into teaching, warehouse, or management positions within the logistics industry. Here’s just a few career routes that we’ve seen our students take:

• Local delivery driver (home every night)
• Bus driver (school or public transit)
• Construction truck driver (dump trucks, cement mixers)
• HazMat or tanker driver (higher pay for specialized transport)
• Warehouse and logistics management (eventually move into leadership roles)
• Owner-Operator (start your own trucking company)
• CDL Instructor (teach students how to drive commercially)

We know this is a big decision, but don't view it as a dead-end. A CDL will open the door for you to explore many different positions and roles within the logistics industry.

The Challenges of a Trucking Career

As you can see, there are a lot of benefits to getting your CDL, but that doesn’t mean that it's the best option for everyone. In order to determine whether or not this is the right fit for you, you should also consider the following challenges.

1. Long Hours and Time Away from Home

This really only applies to long-haul trucking, so keep this in mind if that’s what you’re considering:

• You’ll be required to drive up to 11 hours per day
• Being out-of-state for weeks at a time is not uncommon

When weighing the cost of a CDL career, be sure to think about how reasonable it is for you to spend long hours behind the wheel and weeks away from home. Keep in mind that there are plenty of CDL jobs that do not feature these challenges, like local deliveries and city bus drivers.

2. Physically and Mentally Demanding

At first glance, you may think that driving a commercial vehicle is an easy task, but you’ll have to endure:

• Mental focus – These vehicles are large and any accidents are incredibly dangerous and often fatal. Sharp mental clarity and focus is required at all times behind the wheel.
• Physical effort – You may be required to load or unload goods depending on the position that you take on.
• Weather challenges – The transportation industry never stops, so you’ll need to master driving in adverse conditions like snow, sleet, heavy rain, and more.

While proper training and experience on the road will give you the skills needed to excel as a driver, these challenges will still be difficult to overcome.

So, Is a CDL Right for You?

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help determine whether this path is a good fit for you:

• Do I want a high-paying job without spending years in school?
• Am I comfortable working alone for long hours or even weeks?
• Do I like the idea of driving constantly and seeing new places?
• Am I willing to put in the work to learn practical skills quickly?
• Are job security and growth opportunities important to me?

Answering ‘yes’ to most of these questions could mean that you’re a perfect fit for the CDL life! Apply to New Sound CDL School today to get started, or reach out to us with any questions you still have. We’re here to help!