If you want to work as a truck driver or you already are, but you want to increase the number of loads you haul, your location may matter more than you realize. Understanding issues surrounding funding, loads, rates, and infrastructure can help you choose which city you might want to consider as your business base.
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These cities concentrate the largest number of shippers and brokers, which will allow you to increase your competitiveness by increasing your operation. Relocating to one of the five cities listed here could have the potential to send your trucking career to new heights. Here's what to consider in your plans.
1. Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is a trucking hub. It's the transportation and logistics hub of the Southeast and home to Hartsfield-Jackson airport. There are more than 32,000 truckers who make it their permanent home, with thousands of others who come through the area regularly. With the size of the hub, more truckers will likely continue to move to Atlanta. In addition, some top companies are based there. That could present challenges for new truckers, though, if the market becomes oversaturated.
These cities concentrate the largest number of shippers and brokers, which will allow you to increase your competitiveness by increasing your operation. Relocating to one of the five cities listed here could have the potential to send your trucking career to new heights. Here's what to consider in your plans.
2. Charlotte, North Carolina
Much like Atlanta, Charlotte is a hub. Picking up freight on one coast can make things easier since that freight can go nearly anywhere. It can also be easier for a trucker to get loads with multiple stops, so they can work their way across the country and back with better rates and good funding for their trucks and equipment. With a shortage of more than 10,000 truck drivers currently, Charlotte is one of the best places for drivers to look for good rates and plenty of loads.
3. Dallas, TX
Texas is a great state for crops production and the beef industry. That, coupled with good funding for manufacturing, means it's easy for truckers to use Dallas as their hub. They can pick up loads there consistently. With large companies being based in the area, it's easy to get freight when needed. Right now, there is a huge shortage of truck drivers in Texas, which makes it more likely that truck drivers can command better rates. They can also find more loads there because there aren't enough drivers to pick them up.
4. Orlando, FL
Orlando is a massive hub for trucking, as some of the most sought-after routes start in Florida. Currently, thousands of drivers positions are open throughout the state, most of which are in or around Orlando. Drivers needing the work can find it in that area.
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5. Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is a hub for nearly everything, including airplane and train travel. But it's also home to some of the largest trucking companies in the country. Chicago has a lot to offer for anyone looking for plenty of freight and good rates for hauling it. Like most other areas where trucking is a big part of the economy, there is a shortage of drivers for the available loads. There is plenty of funding for drivers, but not enough people stepping up to get into the trucks and make it their career.
Before choosing one of these transportation hubs, or any other location for trucking, make sure you do your research into the rates, cost of living, need for drivers, types of loads, and other factors. Of course, if you're planning on moving to a new location to start a career in trucking, you want to be well-prepared. But keep in mind that the five cities listed here are some of the best opportunities in the trucking industry.
To make the most of these opportunities, you'll need a healthy cash flow. You will need cash to haul more loads, so working with a funding partner that allows you to count on the payment of your loads in an easy and fast way is a must, and in Summar, we are ready to boost your growth!
Our tailor-made freight factoring programs will allow you to have your invoices paid as fast as in two hours, improving your cash flow while you get ready for new growth opportunities in a new freight hub! Partner up with the best factor in the business to make the best of every opportunity! Contact us today for more info.