Road Trip This Summer with a Driveaway Job

Summertime is the perfect time for a road trip, especially if you’re a student or have a seasonal job, like teaching.

Did you know that you could turn your summer road trip into a job? Thousands of companies and individuals are hiring individuals to work in driveaway jobs. Working in auto shipping allows you to see the country while also getting paid, so it’s the best of both worlds.

Driveaway services, or auto shipping services, are available to people who are moving or selling a vehicle and need to transport it from one area to another. Some people ship their car via a trailer, while others simply hire someone to drive their vehicle from Point A to Point B. You can find jobs with professional shipping companies, or you can check job boards, such as Craigslist, where individuals will post requests for help transporting their vehicles.

If this sounds like the perfect type of job for you, here are some tips you can use to get hired:

• Drive safely! People won’t trust you to drive their car if you have ten speeding tickets and a few accidents on your record. If you’ve had problems in the past, take a safe driving class or two to show that you’re serious about cleaning up your act.
• Get your CDL. This license allows you to drive trucks and other large vehicles. Not every driveaway job requires it, but it will make you eligible for more jobs.
• Apply specifically to seasonal positions, unless you really do want a year-round job. Trucking companies who are looking for long-term employees won’t even consider your application is you only want a summer job. You’ll have better luck with the seasonal market.
• Be prepared with references. Most companies will ask for them.

Remember, if you help an individual you meet on a job board transport a car, RV or other vehicle, you probably will have to arrange for your own transportation home, which could require buying a plane, train, or bus ticket. When you’re quoting a price for your services, make sure you consider the money you’ll spend to get home! Of course, if you were going to take a road trip over the summer anyway, you might not care about the money as much as you care about the opportunity to see a new part of the country, which is fine too. Either way, this is a fun way to spend the summer, especially if your alternative is flipping burgers or sitting at home without a job.