Becoming A Commercial Driver In Colorado

Oct 3
09:38

2013

Jordan Perch

Jordan Perch

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Commercial driving is a very popular career choice across the U.S. This article explains what commercial driving is like and how popular it is in the state of Colorado.

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As the economy has started to recover,Becoming A Commercial Driver In Colorado Articles trucking is one of the industries that are expected to grow the most, and it's projected that employment of truck drivers will increase by 21 percent by 2020. Truck drivers are in high demand across the whole country right now, and Colorado is no exception. However, although job prospects for truck drivers are pretty favourable, there is a shortage of people interested in this job, mostly because it's a very difficult job and because of the complicated and expensive procedure for obtaining a commercial driver's license. But, the fact that it is a job that pays quite well makes it pretty attractive to a lot of people.

In the U.S., there are over 3.5 million truck drivers, and about 21,150 of them are employed in Colorado, according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, and most of them are owner operators. The most popular trucking companies in Colorado include Western Freightways and Estensen Logistics. As in most other states, Colorado truck drivers are paid pretty well. The average truck driving salary in Colorado, as of August 2012, is $48,000, according to Indeed, which is a couple of thousands of dollars less than the national average, but is still a pretty good salary by any standards.

Depending on your experience, you may earn up to $1,500 a week, if you choose to work as a truck driver in Colorado. Your salary also depends on how many miles you are prepared to drive in the course of one week. The average U.S. truck driver travels about 2,500 miles per week.

You can choose to apply for one of three types of commercial driver license depending on the weight and type of commercial vehicle you want to operate.

There is the Class A license, which you need to obtain in order to be able to drive any mix of vehicles with a GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of 26,001 or more pounds provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed over 10,000 pounds.

The Class B license is for any single vehicle with a of 26,001 pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle over the 10,000 pounds limit.

The Class C license is designated for any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.

Once you get the Colorado CDL, you should be all set to start over your trucking career.