As home to one of the busiest container ports in the country, Savannah, GA, has benefited strongly from the pandemic-mandated boom in ecommerce, which grew 44% in 2020 over 2019. Tourism, however, a major pillar of Savannah’s economy, has taken a beating: employment in the leisure and hospitality sector in Savannah is down almost 20% from a year earlier, and full recovery may still be several years away. “The hospitality industry is a rich source of employment at all levels,” says Brad Ball, President, Roadmaster Drivers School, “which makes this a challenging situation for people at any point in their careers.”

Trucking, Ball says, could be a logical alternative for many of these displaced hotel and restaurant employees, both young people launching their careers and older workers seeking stability, better wages, and new opportunity. Like much of the hospitality industry, trucking companies do not require a bachelor’s degree; counting high school graduates, people with some college but no degree, and holders of associate degrees, over 55% of Georgians meet trucking’s educational requirements.The industry, notes Ball, is also increasingly diverse, both in terms of ethnicity and gender.

Additionally, the investment in tuition and training time is low compared to other education paths and occupational opportunities. Students can complete training in a matter of weeks and immediately start a new career with an average annual starting pay of about $50,000.  There are few comparable opportunities available where the road to success is so easily attainable for those that are unemployed or under-employed. 

Once trained, says Ball, new truckers—such as graduates of the new Roadmaster Drivers School facility in Savannah can immediately begin working in over-the-road, dedicated or regional positions allowing them to remain in Savannah, a small city whose outsize share of the boom in ecommerce logistics will help stimulate demand for a steady supply of well-trained professional truck drivers. 

For a look at what the trucking industry has to offer, and at the steps needed to launch a career in it, Ball and Roadmaster Drivers School cordially invite all prospective drivers and their families to a two-day Grand Opening event beginning Friday, April 23^rd, from 10 am until 5 pm, continuing Saturday April 24^th from 10am until 3 pm, both events to be held at 30 Artley Road, Savannah, Ga.

“The motor freight industry,” says Ball, “is vital to the United States economy, and absolutely dependent on a steady supply of new, well trained drivers. The industry is not looking for degrees. They’re looking for people with good sense, dependability, and the desire for a stable, well-paid job. If that’s you—or somebody you know—come talk to us. It might turn out to be the best thing you ever did.”