Local Company Working to Bring More Truck Drivers into an Industry Facing a Shortage – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Truck drivers are currently so popular that many companies are offering lucrative entry-level bonuses.
“For a solo driver, they are offering between $ 2,500 and $ 5,000 just to sign up,” said Austin Carter, truck driver and co-founder of the Elite Trade Academy. “Team riders can receive up to $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 per team.”
Carter has been a truck driver for over seven years.
He and Sierra Nicole are co-founders of the Elite Trade Academy in Dallas. You will be teaching an entry-level CDL truck driving course starting February, which is a state requirement.
You want to help bring the next generation into a challenging industry.
“Right now, the average age of a truck driver is around 55,” said Sierra Nicole, co-founder of the Elite Trade Academy. “As Austin said, the pandemic made the shortage worse because so many of them decided to retire early. “
There are things that you should be aware of before entering the field.
“The most important thing is safety,” said Carter. “The other is that it’s not just a job, it’s a complete lifestyle change. The opportunity to be separated from the family.
Carter said that despite the challenges, he believes lowering the age requirements from 21 to 18 could help attract more drivers. He also believes targeting a specific demographic could be helpful.
“I think if they’re trained properly and effectively, I think that age 18 won’t be a problem,” Carter said.
“Anyone can do it. We specialize in getting more women into the industry because it’s not as physical as we think.”
Their goal is to give more people an opportunity to train to improve their lives with good wages and to strengthen the trucking industry.
“When we all join forces to simply point out that there are opportunities in the trucking industry for the younger generation, and especially women, to fill this void that is happening,” Nicole said.
To learn more about the Elite Trade Academy, click here.
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Local Company Working to Bring More Truck Drivers into an Industry Facing a Shortage
