A WLOX Report
BILOXI – Job creation is one of the major issues on the minds of many Americans, but what happens when there’re jobs that nobody seems to want?
Right now the trucking industry has 200,000 truck driver jobs up for grabs. So what’s the hold up? To get the answer we went to the pros who know firsthand.
If you ask Basilla Hurst, there’s no question as to whether or not a career in truck driving is a good idea.
“Yes, it’s really rewarding and if you play your cards right it’s a career. It really is. I enjoy it because you don’t have all the office politics and stuff. You’re sort of on your own,” Hurst said.
A chance to work independently and on top of that the salary isn’t bad. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that truckers earn a median wage of $37,930. That’s $4,000 more than the median wage of other jobs.
The pay doesn’t come easy. That may be the reason people aren’t jumping at the chance to haul the big rigs, in the midst of a struggling job market.
“There’s a lot of companies that push you to the limit sometimes. They do that because when you do your delivery you have to be on time. For people that are married it can cause problems because while their spouses are at home, the drivers are out for long periods of time,” Hurst said.
Those lengthy periods away from home can make it tough on anyone. Take Craig for example. He has been on the road for eight weeks now. Though he enjoys his job, he agrees, it’s not for everyone.
“You’ve got to make sure you’re ready to be away from home for a lot of hours. I got six weeks out, six days back, six weeks out again. I mean it’s good for a single person, but if you have a family it might not be so good,” Craig said.
But there are plenty of married men and women who take on the job anyway to support their family. If you’re brave enough to take on the responsibility, the opportunity is waiting.
“In Stockton, California where I’m from they have work where they’ll even pay for your schooling so it is very rewarding,” Hurst said.
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