Lookin fer a job in Alaska!

Idk exactly what you’re wanting to do so I’ll give you the best insight I can, no, I’ve never worked there. North Dakota in the oilfield is as close as I’ve got other than OTR all 48 in the winter. I know a lot of people in North Dakota I worked with are from Alaska. Owner of a company I worked for was from there and most of the crew had been there most of their lives. Idk how true it is, but from what I’ve HEARD it’s hard to get a driving job up there with no real winter driving experience. It can be done, I have a friend who had his CDL and that’s where he started his driving career. So, it can be done, but you’re gonna have to work. Just what I know, take it with a grain for what it’s worth.

 

Trying to work as a truck driver in Alaska with no hard winter driving experience would be like being the first person to set foot on Mars.

Probably a one way trip, and ending badly.

 

Be bluebird sunny 24 hours a day half the time, too lol

 

You are in for a very rude awakening if you go to Alaska without a guaranteed job waiting for you! The economy is in the tank in Alaska, unemployment rate is 7.2% right now. It is heavily dependent on oil for revenue and the low oil prices have the state by gonads. In order to qualify as a resident you must be in Alaska for a minimum of 1 full year. With no winter driving experience (winter is 6 months long in AK) and no CDL in your wallet, you are not going to get hired driving a truck, not by Carlile, not by Lynden, especially.

Also, 99% of trucking is Intrastate, not interstate. Very little trucking is interstate due to the fact that nearly all freight is transported by barge form Washington to Alaska millions of pounds at a time, it is much more cost effective than truck freight.

I earned my CDL in AK from NIT in Palmer, the course I attended they do not offer any longer, it was a 12 week course which included everything in this course, plus more; Alaska CDL Training - Pro Truck Driver 360 Hours I landed a local job running flatbed. I had other things going for me as well which made me a good candidate for hire, but I still felt somewhat lucky due the fact that the economy was falling fast at the time, now it is worse with no signs of recovery in sight.

The cost of living in AK is very high. The weather is brutal, the long cold winter darkness is more than most people can tolerate, the rainy season is during the summer. The clear sunny days mostly occur during the winter, that means subzero temps for the few hours of daylight on tap. Point being, if you cannot enjoy the outdoors and cannot handle some weather at the same time, you will likely become what so many others there are, a drug and/or alcohol abuser, it is pervasive, it is a favorite past time.

There is no room for romanticized naive perspectives on what it is like to live AK, that is for books, movies and idiots. Do yourself a a solid and get yourself a valuable skill set with plenty of experience then get a good paying job lined up, in writing, ahead of time, before making such a move.

I had the fortune of living there for 40 years. I did the commercial fishing, the hunting, the fishing, camping, boating, backpacking, etc, etc. you name it, I may have done it. Alaska is a fantastic place and I encourage people to experience it, at least for a vacation, but going up there with nothing to offer and nothing to provide oneself an assurance that they can make it worthwhile, and without a plan and financial backing is a recipe for disaster and heartbreak.

Best wishes in your decision making and pursuits.