If it seems that your military-to-civilian transition has hit a speed bump, it may be time to look at the transportation and trucking industry.
The U.S. trucking industry is poised for a surge over the next two years. In fact, a Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) study found that nearly 200,000 drivers will need to be hired by the end of this year to fill a deficit caused by retirements, recession-related layoffs and attrition, CNNMoney reports. And an additional 200,000 drivers will need to be hired by 2011 in order to fill the ongoing demand for skilled employees.
The CSCMP study also revealed that tighter regulations and safety standards -- created to drive employees with bad records off the road -- will open more opportunities for prospective truck drivers.
If this job piques your interest, be advised that most, if not all, of your year will be spent on the road. Additionally, you'll spend a lot of time away from friends and family. However, other jobs in this field -- such as a transportation warehousing manager -- don't require you to be on the road full time.
Trucking jobs offer a wide range of pay and benefits, according to Monster.com. What's more, hiring managers are looking for candidates with a safe driving record, a desire to travel and a strong work ethic -- a great fit for transitioning service members. Before you apply to your nearest trucking and transportation company, you need to know what to include on your resume.
Monster.com recommends highlighting the following skills and attributes on your resume:
- Hazmat qualifications
- Good safety and driving record
- Specialization in a particular type of equipment
- Experience in logistics and inventory functions, such as warehousing
- Knowledge of federal and state regulations
- Background in customer service-delivering to homes, vendors or businesses
- Physical strength
- Computer skills
"Highlight that you're always ahead of schedule [and] a safe driver; you'll be even more desirable," Jeevan Devore, spokeswoman for the resume-writing service Career Perfect, told Monster.com.
You can also use Military.com's skills translator to turn your military skills and military occupational specialty (MOS) into terms and jargon that are applicable to the trucking industry. For more information about the trucking field or other growing industries, visit Military.com's Careers channel.
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