Blog

Colorado, and the rest of the country for that matter, have a problem. They need commercial drivers, and they need them fast. Even before the pandemic, there was a national shortage of approximately 80,000 commercial drivers. The pandemic did not help those numbers, and now some companies are getting creative about how to find people with commercial driver’s licenses to join their work force. In Denver alone, bus drivers and waste management services need the most help. Now they’re getting creative in their recruitment practices, including offering huge signing bonuses. If you’re someone looking to change their career, or if you have a commercial driver’s license, this is a must-read.

Denver’s solid waste management division offers $5,000 signing bonuses. Although they won’t pay for you to get a commercial driver’s license, the organization has other means to hire new employees. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) changed the routes and condensed the work schedule to make waste collection more efficient. This includes shortening their work week to not work weekends and offering raises to those with seniority. In other words, the longer you’ve had your commercial driver’s license, the more money you can potentially make.

Commercial Drivers Aren’t the Only Ones Who Can Benefit

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) needs employees and fast. Prior to the pandemic, they were offering $2,000 sign-up bonuses for positions such as mechanic, light-rail operator, conductor, and service cleaning. Now, they’re offering double that with a $4,000 signing bonus to stay competitive. As of the beginning of May, the RTD was short of roughly 24% of the people it needed to become fully staffed. They even offer paid training for people to get their commercial driver’s licenses. That’s an impressive incentive considering it could cost thousands of dollars to get your license. However, the RTD isn’t the only company that’s recruiting new employees with huge cash incentives like they’re the NCAA.

Denver isn’t the only place in Colorado offering incentives for commercial drivers. Mountain Metro Transit, Grand Valley Transit, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and Ride Transfort all offer incentives to get new drivers. This isn’t just a Colorado thing; it’s happening across the nation. There’s a weird thing happening where the industry promises to change, but it can’t change fast enough. People assume that driverless vehicles and artificial intelligence will eliminate the need for commercial drivers. This may be true, but not for a very long time. This could be preventing people from seeing a commercial driver’s license as a viable career option. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and if you’re looking for a new career with great signing incentives, being a commercial driver may be a good place to start.