CAREER TRAINING RESOURCES

There are many reasons to consider a new career as a professional truck driver. The commercial truck industry plays an important role in the national economy which should give drivers a sense of accomplishment. In a column published by Tire Review, Bob Costello, president of the American Trucking Associations wrote about the important role the trucking sector is playing in today’s economy. “There is no industry more essential to the health and welfare of the U.S. economy than the trucking industry,” Costello wrote. “America’s trucks move the vast majority of America’s freight – from farm to factory to warehouse to retailer to home, trucks dominate freight transportation.” Costello added that “When looking at the industry, it is important to appreciate its size. Acc­ording to the Department of Transportation, there are more than one million interstate motor carriers – including for-hire, private fleets and owner-operators. And those carriers moved 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013 – nearly 70 percent of all the tonnage moved by trucks.” With trucks playing such an important role in the national economy, becoming a professional truck driver could be a great way for you to enter a profession that allows you to make a difference and feel good about the work you are doing. “Every grocery store, shopping center, car dealership, book­store or pharmacy gets their goods via truck,” Costello wrote. “And in today’s on-demand economy, every time a person clicks the checkout button on an online retailer, another bit of freight is put on the back of a truck. Trucking is a $681 billion industry; more than 81 percent of all freight-related dollars were paid to the trucking industry. With more than 3.2 million drivers – and 7 million employees overall – trucking really is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy.” The size and growth of the trucking industry is another reason why this is a great career opportunity. The truck industry continues to grow and there is a need for thousands of more CDL trained commercial truck drivers. In fact, the demand for more drivers is so great that many truck carriers are looking for ways to entice more drivers through higher pay and tuition reimbursement for CDL programs. “Con-way Truckload is rolling out a new tuition reimbursement program to entice new drivers to work for the company after attending a professional driving school,” reports TruckingInfo.com. “The program will contribute up to $4000 to students attending or enrolling in a professional driving school to earn a commercial driver’s license. A full-time position at Con-way will be offered upon graduation and a driver must work for Con-way for a year to receive the full amount.” Demand for trucking services continues to grow across the country. However, truck carriers are struggling to find enough qualified driver to meet that demand and its forcing trucking carriers to look for creative ways to encourage more individuals to consider a career as a commercial truck driver. “Professional truck drivers are essential to our nation’s economy and with the current driver shortage, we’re looking for more ways to help bring new professionals into the industry,” said Bert Johnson, vice president of human resources at Con-way. In its article, TruckingInfo.com reported that “Conway will make monthly payments on a student’s loan for the first 12 months of employment with the company. After the year is up, the rest of the reimbursement will be paid in a lump sum. The new program replaces Con-way’s previous tuition assistance program that gave $2,000 reimbursements.” As truck carriers continue to look for thousands of new truck drivers, now is the perfect time to launch a new trucking career. The CDL training program at Advanced puts students at the top of the list for some of the best truck driving jobs in the country and is helping hundreds of jobseekers launch a new career in one of America’s fastest growing employment fields. The quality of education at Advanced can help many students graduate from the CDL training program with multiple job offers and opportunities. This is a great time to consider a new career as a professional truck driver, especially as the industry continues to grow and truck carriers increase their incentives for new drivers.

There are many reasons to become a professional welder. This growing career field offers many opportunities for those applicants with the right training and skills. Here are five reasons why you should consider a career in welding.

1. Growing Demand

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) estimates that an additional 14 million welders will be needed by 2020. This means now is a perfect time to receive professional training and enter this growing career field. In addition, there are hundreds of current welders expected to retire in the coming years. Because of this and the improving economy, now is the ideal time for a jobseeker to consider a new career as a professional welder.

2. Employers Need Qualified Applicants

Despite the demand for more welders, many employers are struggling to find enough qualified applicants. Employers are looking for applicants who understand the technology used in today’s welding field. They also look for candidates with a strong understanding of how to read blueprints and practice proper safety procedures. The NAM said that a recent poll of manufacturers shows that 81 percent say they cannot find enough skilled workers. This is because a growing number of welding applicants are scoring below proficient in the areas of math and science. Many employers are turning away applicants because many lack the training and skills that are needed in this profession. That give students of Advanced an advantage when it comes to finding work in the welding field.

3. The Training You Need is Available at ACI

Advanced offers a great professional welding training program, helping students launch a new career in this growing industry. Advanced Career Institute’s welding program is designed to prepare each student to obtain a welder certification. Students will also receive training in a variety of skills including construction site safety, blueprint and site plan reading, principles of metallurgy, construction math and welding tool usage. Learn more about our welder training program.

4. Work in a Variety of Industries and Places

Professional welders can find work in a variety of industries and sectors, including general construction, the energy sector and manufacturing. Welders are in-demand in the booming natural gas sector, bridge construction and in factories. It is important for welders to have a strong training foundation to use in a variety of fields.

5. A Career for Women

The welding profession is not only for men. According to the United States Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, the number of female welders in the U.S. has increased by over 2 percent over the past decade. Labor officials say this points to a trend of more women getting into the welding industry. Welding is a great career choice for women. More and more are building long lasting careers in this growing field. As you can see, there are many reasons to consider a new career in welding. Now is the perfect time to enter this growing career field. Manufacturers and employees in every part of the country are seeking out qualified welders who have professional training. Advanced Career Institute is leading the way in helping a new generation of professional welders learn the skills today’s employers demand. Looking for a new, challenging career that allows you to work with your hands in a variety of environments? There are many reasons to choose this career field, but any one of these 5 listed are reason enough to seek our professional welding training at ACI. Contact us to become a welder today!

Young professional welders are in demand, especially those with relevant training from a respected school like Advanced Career Institute. With the average age of today’s professional welder 53, companies are looking for younger welders to enter the profession in order to offset the large number that will be retiring in the coming years. Not only do employers want to prepare for the thousands of welders that will be retiring, but they also want younger workers with relevant training as the welding industry has changed over the years and new technology is put into use. Training for a career in welding involves a careful review of safety processes. Other aspects of the training program include blueprint reading, the ability to give estimates, and cutting torch operations. There are also specialized fields that welders can enter, such as underwater welding. The Advanced Career Institute’s welding program is designed to prepare each student to obtain American Welding society welder performance certification and students will also receive training in a variety of skills, including construction site safety, blue print and site plan reading, principles of metallurgy, construction math and welding tool usage. Welding jobs are becoming much more complex and the technology involved is also changing rapidly, especially with the growth of the energy and health care sector, which are constantly building state of the art buildings and infrastructure. However, even though the demand for professional welders is growing, construction and welding companies will still look to those who have professional training and the right type of certification when filling vacancies.

A recent study by Continental Tires revealed that 34% of fleet drivers regularly ride on underinflated tires. Continental’s survey pointed to a lack of driver knowledge about the risks of driving on underinflated tires and a lack of education on how to monitor and maintain tires as a culprit of this. This is epitomized by the survey’s other finding that only 50% of fleet drivers know the optimal inflation level for their tires. In an attempt to combat this problem, here are some of the risks associated with driving on underinflated tires and some measures that truck drivers can take to ensure this does not happen.

Risks of driving on underinflated tires

Reduced Traction and Poorer Steering -Underinflated tires will not grip the road as well as tires that are fully inflated. This means that vehicles can be more challenging to steer, particularly in wet conditions or driving on imperfect road surfaces. This presents a real danger to road users. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there are around 33,000 accidents each year due to tire-related issues. Underinflated tires are one of the most commonly cited issues of this kind. Increased Chance of Tire Blowout- When a tire is underinflated, pressure from the road transfers from the supple tread of the tire to the more brittle tire sidewall. As the tire’s sidewall is not designed to take such pressure, this can lead to tire blowouts. A sudden blowout on a highway can be very dangerous. Blowouts are estimated to cause 2,000 accidents each year in the US. Furthermore, blowouts can also lead to long periods of driver downtime and mess up schedules. Poorer Fuel Economy - Low tire pressure increases the amount of friction there is between the tire and the road. This means that it takes more fuel to move a vehicle at the same speed than when tires are properly inflated. Although this may not affect a driver too much, improving fuel economy is one of the biggest priorities of fleet managers and operators. This is because fuel consumption typically takes up 60% of a fleet’s total operating costs.

How can Truck Drivers Ensure their Tires are Always Fully Inflated?

Knowing your tire inflation specifications - Given that 50% of truck drivers do not know the pressure that their tires should be inflated at, just knowing this basic information will help you be more responsible about your tires than most of your colleagues. You can find out your truck’s optimal tire pressure by looking at the vehicle’s driver manual. Generally recommended tire pressure is between 35-40 PSI, but this can vary from truck to truck. Measure your Tire Pressure at Least Once a Month - Since some air will always be leaking out of tires, it’s essential to check your tire pressure at least once every four weeks. You can measure tire pressure with a tire pressure gauge. This tool costs less than $15 and is small enough to be kept in your truck’s glove compartment. As the heat caused by driving (particularly highway driving) causes tire pressure to increase, you should always measure your tire pressure when your tires are “cold.” A “cold” tire has not been driven on for at least 2 hours. Although most trucks will be fitted with a tire pressure monitoring system, this will only alert you when a tire has deflated below 25% of its optimal pressure. This is far beyond the point where steering and fuel economy are affected, so it’s well worth regularly measuring tire pressure manually.

Keep an Eye out for Outerwear on your Tires

If you drive underinflated tires for an extended time, the outer edges of your tire will wear faster than the middle of the tread. This is because more pressure is exerted on the outside of tires when underinflated. Remember, is why underinflation can lead to blowouts. We can often feel outerwear if we run our hand over the tread of our tires. You should be able to notice the tactile sensation of tire treads being shallower on the outside of the tread than in the middle. If this is the case, then it’s worth measuring your tire pressure to see if tires are underinflated, as well as being more diligent with keeping your tires inflated in the future. - Written by Mike Skoropad