What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?
The beginning of the new year feels like a fresh start. It’s the perfect time to review the past year’s events and think about its highs and lows. For many, it’s the perfect time to make a change. Everyone has a story about a new year’s resolution that didn’t work out for one reason or another – it was too difficult, too ambitious, or too much of a departure from regular life. The figure varies, but an average of 80% of resolutions fail within the year.
On the other hand, this means an average of 20% succeed. If you’ve made a list of resolutions this year that you’d like to stick to, Melton Truck Lines is here to help you on your journey. Trucking has been a welcome career change for millions of people, and you could be one of them! Here’s a list of 5 of the most common new year’s resolutions and the ways we can help you accomplish them this year.
#5: Travel More
This is a common goal for many people. Who wants to live their life without seeing what the world has to offer? This can be difficult for those with a traditional career. Most only have a few weeks off per year, and using them all for travel is not recommended, in case anything unexpected happens. Not to mention the cost of taking a vacation!
This isn’t the case with otr truck driving, which is one of the few jobs that require travel. The open road will take you all across North America. Most of our drivers will see the entire United States in just a year or two of driving, and many jobs will also take you through parts of Canada. Even better – you get paid for it! Although you will be passing through places more than you’ll be stopping, our drivers still find time to sightsee and get some great pictures!
#4: Get Into Shape
Year after year, this resolution tops the charts as the most popular choice for those wanting to make a change. Admittedly, truck driving isn’t known for its gleaming health records – traditional truck driving is a very stationary job, and most companies don’t see the need to show drivers how to be healthy while on the road. Fortunately, this is where we differ! Melton is a flatbed trucking company, meaning drivers are responsible for securing and tarping their own loads. This extra activity is great to build strength and combat the effects of being otherwise stationary.
However, it’s not just the nature of the work that keeps our drivers feeling better. At Melton, we take health very seriously. Our trucks are equipped with refrigerators that are perfect for storing homemade leftovers or produce that would otherwise spoil. This gets rid of the reliance of quick-service meals, which mitigates a laundry list of potential health risks. Our Tulsa terminal also has a 24 hour gym with personalized health regimes and classes, as well as an on-campus cafeteria that’s always stocked with healthy choices. All this, plus our extensive health benefits that take care of our drivers and their families, makes it easy to stick to a healthy lifestyle.
#3: Earn More Money
There’s a reason people say that money makes the world go round! If you’d like to earn more to support yourself and your family, without the headache of a traditional 4-year bachelor program, an otr driving job may be what you’re looking for! Fortunately, long haul trucking requirements aren’t very steep. The only barrier to entry is a Class A CDL license, which can be obtained in a matter of weeks versus years. Check out our CDL School Finder for a list of schools we recommend. Class A CDL jobs with no experience aren’t too tricky to find due to an ongoing driver shortage. At Melton, we hire drivers of all experience levels!
Of course, there’s other options out there if you don’t want to pursue a degree. However, the average salary across ALL high school graduates is a little under $43,000 per year. How about a truck driver salary? The average yearly earnings of a new driver’s first year with Melton sit between $65,000 and $75,000 per year, depending on the miles driven. Drivers are paid in cents per mile, which means the more work you do, the more you’ll be paid. New drivers start at a minimum of 52 CPM (cents per mile), with opportunities to raise it up to 65 CPM after gaining experience with Melton. Our top otr drivers earn upwards of six figures per year – not bad! See how much truck drivers make at Melton on our pay page.
#2: Learn Something New
If you feel stuck where you are right now, learning a new skill could be just the thing to get you out of a rut. The good news is there’s lots to learn in the trucking industry, and that all starts with our comprehensive hands-on training. You’ll learn how to secure and tarp loads, how to maneuver a truck, and some extremely useful mechanical skills that have applications outside of trucking.
That’s not all! You’ll find yourself alone for the majority of the time on the road, which means when you’re stopped for the evening, you’ll need to come up with ways to fill your time. TV is one option, but you could hone a whole list of skills like exercising, writing, crafting, video games, and more! If you’re looking to try your hand at content creation, trucking is a unique career that can be shown off to billions of social media users. Melton even offers an influencer program that gives drivers bonuses for creating trucking content and growing a fanbase!
#1: Live Life to the Fullest
While this can mean different things to different people, trucking is a lifestyle that will challenge you in new ways that you’ll never experience living conventionally. It’s a huge change for anyone, but it can often be welcome. If you’re feeling weighed down by life, trucking makes quite the remedy.
Hopefully, this gives some insight on how Melton can help you accomplish some of your lofty goals this year! We’re proud to be one of the best trucking companies to work for, and we’d be thrilled to have you in 2023! Even if an 80% failure rate for resolutions seems daunting, it also indicates that 1 in 5 people will succeed in changing their life for the better, and this year might be your turn. If you’re ready to hit the road, check out our blogs about how to earn a CDL or how to become a truck driver.
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