Short Haul Jobs For Truckers With A CDL

The NSTS Team March 4, 2021

Do you want to be a truck driver and earn a CDL, but don’t want to be a long-haul truck driver? There are different non-long-haul alternatives for you that don’t involve long hauls or cross-country treks.

These short haul trucking jobs can be regional or local. Local work can be usually up to about 100 miles of the home terminal. Regional takes about 150-500 miles or so of the home terminal.

Some truckers prefer short-haul trucking jobs but others don’t. It depends on your preference and what you expect from a driving job. Today more and more truck drivers don’t want to do long-haul trucking because of the toll it takes on their health and the stress on their families. That’s why sometimes it is hard to find a good short-haul trucking job, depending upon where you live.

Here you can find the non-long-haul alternatives if you want a career in the driving industry.

Bus Driver

Truck drivers don’t want to do long-haul trucking because it takes them away from home for days or weeks at a time. If you don’t want to leave your family for long stretches of time, a bus driver job suits you.

Advantages:

You can stay home – When you are a school or city bus driver, you can come home at night, see your family regularly and sleep in your own bed.
You will have regular hours – It will give you an opportunity to have a nine to five job. However, some bus drivers may have to work evenings or weekends, but there are plenty of jobs with daylight/weekday hours.
Receive a good salary – Bus drivers receive about $34,450 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Along with these advantages, some bus drivers have to work a partial-year schedule. School bus drivers work only from the late-summer/early-fall through the beginning of summer.

Construction Vehicle Driver

This job opens doors, gets you on the road, and brings you plenty of benefits. Construction vehicle drivers also work locally and have daylight/weekday options.You can work a regular schedule and earn a good salary. According to the BLS statistics, a construction equipment operator receives salary over $46,900 per year. These drivers can do:

Drive equipment – They drive a dump truck, crane, flatbed, or other similar vehicles or piece of machinery.
Move equipment – They bring construction from one place to another. They can tow bulldozers, backhoes, or other similar vehicles.
Repair equipment – They can also make repairs. That’s why this job requires additional training.

Construction equipment operators are in demand and the number of jobs is projected to grow.

Delivery Driver

Delivery drivers also have regular schedules without long-distance hauls or stays.

Advantages:

Regular schedule – Some delivery drivers work daylight/weekday hours. This means you can spend more time with your family and loved ones.
Work locally – Some delivery drivers can travel for their job, but you can have job that includes local service.
Work in different places – If you want different experiences and want to explore your local area, this job is ideal for you because you may have a revolving route of deliveries.
Good salary – Delivery drivers can make an average of $30,500 annually. So, you’ll earn well above the federal minimum wage.
Be physical active – Sometimes you have to unload the items you drive. This requires plenty of physical activity. If you don’t like to sit for long periods, this job suits you.

Are You Ready To Start A Trucking Career With NSTS?

If you want to be a bus, delivery driver or construction equipment operator, or somewhere else, you need training and a CDL.With our CDL training program facilitated by experienced instructors, you can join the tens of thousands of drivers who want to serve the trucking industry nationwide.