If you’re stuck between careers right now, you might be thinking about what you can do next. This is where a lot of people may turn to driving for Uber while they figure out what they want to do. While those driving choices offer some positives, they aren’t going to help you to provide for you and your family the same way that a truck driving career can. Many people have thought about both of these driving-related jobs, so we wanted to give you a breakdown to help you determine which one may be best for you.
Vehicles
Uber
When it comes to the vehicle choice, both driving-related jobs are on the opposite spectrum. For Uber, you will be driving your own vehicle that you’ve either purchased or leased. Should your vehicle break down, you—and only you—are solely responsible for any repair costs that occur while on the job. Similarly, gas or oil changes are also your responsibility.
Consider this: the more you drive your own personal vehicle for Uber, the more wear and tear you will put on it. If you only drive occasionally, this may not be a big deal. But when you’re trying to provide for a family, this mileage will add up as well as the costs.
Truck Driving
If you’re an owner-operator, much of the above burden will also fall on you. An owner-operator will own their own vehicle, and as such, the repairs and extra costs will fall on them.
Now, if you enter the truck driving career and work for a company, the above burdens will not fall on you. Gas, oil changes, damages, will all be covered by the company you work for. This is a major point of emphasis when comparing and contrasting these two driving-related jobs.
Quality Of Careers
Uber
As solid as Uber is as a side-money hustle, this isn’t necessarily a career field that gives you the opportunity to move up in the world. If you’re trying to feed a family and send your kids off to college, Uber can be a difficult route to take.
You can move up in the vehicle tiers with Uber, which allows you to take a different type of clientele and in turn, a higher charge, but you’re still going to be responsible for owning those higher-end vehicles.
Truck Driving
When it comes to a truck driving career, it’s all about getting that first year of experience. Once you have that first year under your belt, the pay starts to increase, and you’ll start to get better opportunities. When you have your commercial driving license, the opportunities are very big.
Should you choose to be an owner-operator, you can pick and choose where you want to drive and your times—and you’ll be earning a major paycheck. Though, as we said earlier, you should understand that being an owner-operator does come with the responsibilities of truck maintenance, fuel, etc. Even with all that said, many drivers aspire to become an owner-operator because of the money you can make.
If you decide to work for a company, you’ll notice that many companies are now offering sign-on bonuses as well as health benefits. This is how the trucking industry is adapting to the changing times, and you won’t find this opportunity while driving for Uber.
There’s also the opportunity to earn more in your truck driving career by getting specific certifications. Some examples of these certifications are: doubles and triples, tanker trucking, and HAZMAT.
Doubles/Triples
Most of the time when you see trucks on the road, they’re single-trailer vehicles. However, there are still plenty of double and triple trailers out there. Being certified for double and triple trailers will make you stand out and be in more demand. It also means you can demand more money.
Tankers
Whenever you see trucks carrying liquids, you’ll know that those drivers are certified to driver tankers. Driving liquids is completely different from driving solid loads, and in turn means that you will make more money with these hauls. Getting this certification means you’ll need to know what to do if you spill some of your haul. It takes experience, but when you have this certification the opportunities open up for you.
HAZMAT
HAZMAT stands for hazardous material. This is a difficult certification to get, as you must pass various background checks as well as training. However, once you have this certification, you’ll be able to haul all types of loads and therefore you’ll be an in-demand driver. It’s important to note that just because you’re driving a HAZMAT load doesn’t mean you’re driving bombs or anything extreme. Sure you will drive around gasoline, but sometimes a HAZMAT load could be something like plastic beads.
Other Factors
Uber
When driving for Uber, you’re pretty much going to be constrained to your city or maybe the nearby surrounding cities. With the cost of gas compared to what you make, it isn’t logical to make longer trips to various areas around your state, or even out of state. And even then, you’re likely not finding much clientele that requires that.
Consider also who you’re driving when you choose Uber. Sure, you’ll be driving around regular everyday people, but there’s also going to be times when you’re taking around drunk customers who are difficult to deal with. A passenger screaming and yelling in your backseat is never fun, and you better hope that they don’t vomit or get inappropriate with another passenger. You’re not going to want to deal with that at 2 a.m.
Truck Driving
With a truck driving career, you have the opportunity to travel all over this great country and see things that you may not have had the opportunity to see before, all while being paid. Getting out on the open road gives you a chance to see some of the great sights in this country while earning money—an opportunity that isn’t afforded to you when driving Uber.
You’re also not going to be dealing with customers in your backseat who are on the verge of vomiting all over your interior!
Truck Driving Career: Conclusion
Hopefully you have a better understanding now about the differences in these two career opportunities. While both careers offer a fairly low barrier-to-entry, a truck driving career offers significantly more opportunity to grow. If you’re interested in earning your CDL and getting started this lucrative career, please contact us at L.A Truck Driving School.