Is there life after trucking? Of course there is, the better question might be, what are the best alternative careers for Truck Drivers?
Automation is set to transform most, if not all industries in the not too distant future. With many truck manufacturers and logistics firms investing heavily in trying to make automated trucks a reality it could leave us all questioning, what comes next?
How self-driving trucks will navigate on the road situations typically handled by humans is one of the biggest hurdles to achieving fully automated fleets. Many companies pushing the automated innovations still intend to have a Driver in the truck as a backup just in case something goes wrong.
While it may not be classed as a complete career change for Truck Drivers, being a backup Driver in an automated vehicle might just be the closest related job opportunity if automated trucks really do become commonplace.
For some Truck Drivers, life before trucking consisted of roles in the military, in engineering, warehousing and in I.T. but in a bid to avoid a nine to five office job, they chose a role that provides freedom, independence and excellent earning potential. It is these same job qualities that we would need to seek out when we consider alternative careers for Truck Drivers.
If being a wingman to a machine is not for you then we need to start thinking a little further out of the box, taking stock of the skills you have gained from your previous positions and from your time as a Truck Driver and applying them to a potential new role.
As an experienced Truck Driver you are:
- Skilled
- Knowledgeable
- Observant
- Motivated
- Logical
- Flexible
- Organised
- Focused
- Reliable
- Solutions-orientated
- Calm under pressure
These are all excellent attributes to have and are highly desired in many different roles. If we also add the following industry specific skills you have gained to this list:
- Geographical knowledge
- Mechanical understanding
- Logistical planning
- Industry knowledge
- Driving experience
- Customer service skills
- Communication skills
You will see that you have lots to shout about and many new and exciting roles open to you.
Alternative careers for Truck Drivers
Whether you have experience in another industry that you can call upon from before your career as a Truck Driver, or whether you are keen on utilising the skills you have gained as a Truck Driver, there are many excellent job opportunities to consider, including:
- Transport management
- Loading/Unloading
- Engineering
- I.T
- Sales Representative
- Customer Service
- Plant Machinery Driver
- Machine Operator
- Crane Operator
- Mechanic
- Assembly/Production Operative
- Vehicle Inspector
- Warehouse Operative/Manager
If you are looking to move sideways into an alternative role within the transport and logistics industry, or if you are seeking a complete change to your life after trucking, then seriously consider retraining or gaining new skills to help you compete for sought after roles. If you started training now you could find that you are ahead of the game if, or when the transport industry takes a change.
What retraining options are out there for Truck Drivers?
Many Truck Drivers utilise their time out on the road to undertake distance learning courses. If you like the idea of learning something new in your downtime there are plenty of free online courses available:
- Alison
- FutureLearn
- Coursera
- Learn Direct - English, Maths and I.T functional skills
These four providers offer 100s of free online courses in a huge variety of topics from financial literacy to fitness and nutrition. Each course can take anywhere from one week to 12 weeks or more to complete.
Look out for providers who offer the opportunity to purchase a certificate at the end of your course or to download a learner record for free so you can show potential employers how much work you have put into developing your knowledge and skills.
The aforementioned Alison site has an excellent search feature where you can find free courses based on the industry you are hoping to enter.
Start building or updating your CV
If you are on the lookout for a new job opportunity, now is a good time to start working on your CV. A CV should be tailored for the job you're applying for so knowing where to start, how it should be structured and how much information to include can be daunting. There are tools available to help and this blog along with its handy accompanying video outlines how you can use our CV templates to create the perfect CV.
