Careers for veterans: why truck driving is a great choice

For military veterans, finding a job that’s a good fit after leaving the service can be challenging—especially if you’re not thrilled about the idea of sitting behind a desk all day. This is why one of the best careers for veterans is becoming a CDL truck driver. We have found that veterans of the armed forces also have some unique advantages that make the industry and career an excellent fit for them.

Why is truck driving one of the best jobs for military veterans?

1. Military skills can overlap with truck driving skills

This is a prominent reason that many veterans choose truck driving as a career after their service is over. Most military members are technically savvy, motivated, hardworking and have worked with heavy equipment. Even those who haven’t worked with heavy equipment have the work ethic many trucking companies are looking for. Veterans also possess a variety of soft job skills that the industry requires such as grit, teamwork, dependability, leadership, situational awareness, mental stamina and self-discipline, making this career path a great employment opportunity.

2. G.I. Bill benefits can help pay for license costs

For qualified veterans, the G.I. Bill can be used to help pay for the costs of getting a CDL A license like truck driving school tuition and license tests. It can also sometimes provide payment as you go through training at VA-approved trucking companies. How much you can get from this depends on the benefits you receive as well as eligibility requirements and training time but it’s a great option to look into if you’re interested in becoming a truck driver.

3. Steady pay, consistent schedules and great benefits

The trucking industry currently offers a ton of excellent career opportunities. In recent years, companies have increased driver pay and benefits substantially, making the positions even more attractive than they already were. Plus, if you work for a dedicated trucking company that has dedicated customers, you’ll likely be able to get a consistent schedule with consistent home time to match your lifestyle.

4. Job security

With the growth of ecommerce and developing supply chains, consumers and companies have a growing need for products and goods to be shipped across the country. This means the trucking industry provides reliable and increasing income, job security and future growth opportunities.

5. The transition is quick

It won’t take you long to get behind the wheel of a truck once you decide to make the move. Many trucking certification programs can be completed in just a few months—not bad when you think about the fact that it takes two years to get an associate degree and four years to get a bachelor’s degree.

6. Military experience offers great advantages to truck drivers

If you have a military CDL, most of the time you can waive the civilian CDL skills test. Additionally, if you worked with hazardous materials, you might be able to qualify for higher-paying loads that require a hazmat endorsement. Some trucking companies even pay for your military experience, even if you weren’t driving a truck during your active duty.

Careers for veterans at ITS Logistics

At ITS, we are proud to offer great truck driving job opportunities for veterans—and we’ll even pay you for your experience in the military. That means that 100 percent of your time in the military up to 20 years will count as driving experience at ITS, so if you were in the military for 10 years, you would start at our 10-year driver pay rate (must have a minimum of 1-year CDL A driving experience to qualify)!

Give us a call today at (866) 303-2518 to learn more about our CDL jobs for veterans.

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