You may be interested in earning your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) but want to avoid driving across the country for the rest of your life. That’s just fine!
Acquiring your CDL is an excellent step towards earning better pay. This license is a surprisingly versatile document, and while driving is almost always on the docket, driving a big rig is far from the only occupation that CDL holders can pursue!
Though not all of these are precisely driving jobs, they are somehow related to the transportation industry. Your knowledge of trucking and the road can apply to many positions.
We have compiled seventeen non-trucking jobs that CDL holders can pursue for you to explore.
1. Mover
Movers frequently employ trailers or huge transport vehicles to assist clients in moving their things from one place to another. They load their furniture and breakables into the car, package them carefully, and drive them to the customer’s new home.
Once there, they unload the customer’s belongings into the new site. To accurately account for everything, they might also inventory every item.
2. Refuse Collector
Refuse collectors go through a municipality or city’s allocated route, picking up recyclables and rubbish. They operate and drive recycling or trash trucks, and when necessary, they hand-collect trash and load it into the rear of the car.
They also use hydraulic lifts to pick up larger containers and goods. Then, they transport the goods to a recycling or waste collection centre to be disposed of or processed further.
3. Bus Driver
Bus drivers pick up passengers at predetermined sites and drop them off by travelling assigned routes. To ensure the safe transportation of passengers, they abide by all traffic rules, safety protocols, and transit requirements.
Bus drivers usually follow a schedule to get people to the right place at the right time. In addition to performing preventative maintenance like routine oil changes, they may assist passengers with disabilities in boarding the vehicle.
Also, they communicate with other drivers and passengers about delays or problems encountered during the trip.
4. Courier
Couriers deliver and distribute items and papers to corporations, government organizations, individuals, and educational institutions.
They carefully move packages and papers using delivery vans or other vehicles within a predetermined time frame. When they reach the agreed-upon spot, they ensure the recipient receives their item or document and note whether they have gotten it.
In addition, couriers schedule the most effective routes in advance and may research to find ways to improve the efficiency of delivery procedures.
5. Firefighter
Firefighters drive big vehicles to the scene of a fire in response to alarms. After evacuating everyone from the vicinity, they safely put out the fire using the water hoses on their fire vehicles.
After that, they evaluate the damage. In addition, firefighters maintain their trucks and check the equipment regularly to ensure it’s working correctly.
They can also replace worn-out or outdated parts and do simple equipment repairs.
6. Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technicians assist in safely transferring patients to hospitals and responding to emergency calls!
Despite many duties, these medical personnel frequently drive and operate emergency vehicles, such as ambulances.
When they get to the scene of an emergency, they locate patients, stabilize them, and use a stretcher to put them into the emergency vehicle. They then take a car to the nearest emergency room or hospital to ensure the patient gets the necessary care.
7. Supervisor
Having a good workforce can make working as a supervisor go smoothly. Companies need excellent drivers because they lower driver turnover, which reduces the quantity and frequency of accidents.
If you observe that specific drivers need more assistance than others, you should be prepared to assist them.
Most drivers desire training since it will increase their professionalism and safety and improve the image of your business.
8. Maintenance Technician
Maintenance technicians often operate larger vehicles, such as dump trucks, concrete mixers, and paint trucks, to assist with highway construction and maintenance projects.
In addition to operating heavy vehicles, they conduct quality checks on equipment to ensure it works as intended, help develop budgets for maintenance projects, and maintain inventory records of equipment and supplies.
Depending on the project, they may also engage in carpentry, painting, or landscaping.
9. Heavy Equipment Operator
Heavy machinery operators drive, maneuver, load, and unload machinery from automobiles. They also operate cranes, backhoes, dump trucks, bulldozers, and other construction machinery.
They perform preventative maintenance to help avert problems and routinely inspect their equipment to ensure it continues operating as intended.
Additionally, these operators might undertake equipment checks, keep performance logs on machine functionality, and notify their immediate supervisors of any problems. They also adhere to all applicable safety policies and procedures when using equipment.
10. Shuttle Driver
Shuttle drivers move people and gear from one place to another, usually at tourist attractions like airports and amusement parks.
They arrive at pickup sites early, ensure all passengers are on the shuttle, compile and amend transport itineraries by passenger needs, and guarantee that passengers reach their destinations on time.
They also ensure that people are seated appropriately, the shuttle bus is fueled correctly and maintained, and passenger limitations are followed.
11. Bus Inspector
In most states, being a bus inspector requires CDL. This is because you must know how to drive and inspect them properly.
It also lets you detect any issues so the mechanics can repair your vehicle. After the repairs, you should inspect the vehicles to ensure the mechanics have everything.
12. Motor-person
Motorists drive electric vehicles such as streetcars, trolleys, and trains, which move people or business cargo between several places.
They oversee and manage electric engines to ensure they run smoothly and on schedule. In addition, a motor person can choose alternate routes in the event of an accident or significant delay and perform preventative maintenance.
They follow traffic signals, honk or whistle, and use brakes to stop the car completely.
13. Chauffeur
Chauffeurs run high-end cars, such as limousines, and transport customers to their destinations. They ensure their automobile stays in top shape by regularly maintaining it and completing the required repairs.
They also provide courteous greetings, assist clients with loading and unloading their stuff, modify the temperature in the car to make them more comfortable, and ensure they’re taking the most direct routes.
Chauffeurs may also run errands and make deliveries for their customers.
14. Delivery Driver
Delivery drivers follow a predetermined path while delivering goods to different customer addresses. They assure prompt and effective deliveries while adhering to all traffic laws as they load, prepare, inspect, and unload huge vehicles.
Depending on the delivery, they receive consumer money and may require a signature. In addition to completing routine logs and reports, delivery drivers notify clients about new products, explain delivery delays, and connect with them.
15. Local Driver
Local drivers typically stay within a specific geographic region and help companies transport goods from distribution centres to retailers. They help secure the goods before and during transit.
They also perform general maintenance on their delivery vehicle, notify their management of customer concerns and meet with retailers to deliver goods.
Local drivers may answer customer questions, adjust local travel routes when there’s significant traffic and ensure their vehicles are well-maintained and clean before and after each delivery.
16. Van Driver
Van drivers, who usually work for businesses, churches, or charity groups, drive vans or small buses to carry people or cargo to various locations.
They meet people at prearranged spots, transport them there, have conversations with them along the way, and respond to any queries they may have.
They also track how much fuel they use to keep their car running smoothly and undertake essential maintenance to keep it as fuel-efficient as possible.
17. Tractor Operator
Tractor operators drive tractors and transport farming materials and equipment to different locations, such as ploughing fields, planting seeds, applying fertilizers to fields, and harvesting crops.
They perform regular maintenance and repairs of tractors and other equipment, inspect tractors and their attachment parts and report any equipment-related issues to their farm manager or direct supervisor.
In addition, they may also make minor repairs to tractors and other farm equipment and help clean them when necessary.
Wrapping Up
You can operate various vehicles, and depending on your experience level, a similar number of prospective employers will consider hiring you if you have a Commercial Driver’s License.
The little differences between these positions can provide commercial drivers with an unexpected degree of variety in their day-to-day work experience.
Therefore, you should reconsider if you’re concerned that obtaining a CDL will restrict your driving options to trucks alone. When you’re ready to start, investigate these fields and start looking for a career immediately!