Everyone has heard of truck driving, the job that takes men and women across the country as they transport goods, such as produce, electronics, cars, and more to their destinations. Today truck driving is more important than ever, as it is the main method of shipping critical supplies to hospitals and food to grocery stores.
Truck driving has many perks, and offers a competitive salary, making it a desirable job, especially during these unprecedented times. Add on the fact that truck drivers are always in high demand and you have the base for a career that will last you years.
So What Is Truck Driving?
At its core truck driving is a job focused on driving a truck to transport goods and materials from manufacturing plants to distribution centers around the country. Truck driving is essential to the healthy functioning of the American economy. For any store to sell the products that are needed every day, truck drivers are needed to get the goods to the storefront.
Truck drivers typically work over long periods of time, logging driving hours as they cross the country or their local area. Truck drivers typically fall into two categories, either a local driver or a cross country driver. When you start your career as a truck driver you are classified as an OTR or over the road driver. Your typical drives will span between two to three weeks and require long distance driving each day.
What Are The Job Requirements?
Driving a big rig truck is entirely different from driving a typical sedan. A special license is required for driving a big rig, of which there are three varieties: CDL Class A, CDL Class B, and CDL Class C. Class A is the most expansive license, letting you drive tractor trailers (Big-Rigs or Semi trucks) and truck and trailer combinations. Class B only covers box trucks. For the best starting point earning your CDL Class A license is recommended, as it gives you the most options and is most desired by potential employers. In addition to having your Class A or Class B license, truck drivers should know how to handle basic repairs to their trucks.
You will also be required to keep track of your hours. A truck driver works, on average, about seventy hours a week. Truck drivers are responsible for keeping a log of their on driving hours and maintaining their schedule. If a shipment needs to arrive by a certain day, at a certain hour, you are responsible for ensuring it gets there in time.
Types Of Truck Driver Jobs:
Truck drivers operate in one of three categories. A truck driver may be working directly for a company, driving a company owned and branded truck. Truck drivers in this category are employees of a larger trucking organization, and can expect to have company support during their drives. Truck drivers working for a company do not own or lease their own trucks (typically). Owner-Operators, category two, may own their truck or they might lease it from a truck driving company. Owner-Operators haul loads and shipments for a number of companies on a contract basis, but have no authority to initiate their own contracts. The final category, Independent owners, are generally owners of their own truck, or even a small fleet of trucks, and negotiate their own shipping contracts.
More About Truck Driving:
Professional truck drivers are always in high demand. The American Trucking Association estimates that the trucking industry is responsible for more than two thirds of the total freight shipped in the nation, more than 10 Billion tons every year! With 3.5 million professional truck drivers on the roads, you might think that there aren’t many positions available, but according to the ATA there is actually a shortage of truck drivers in America. Trucking is a stable industry with large growth, and an average salary of $43k a year. Truck driving is a great way to start a career that will keep you going for the long haul.
If you are interested in finding a truck driving job, you can browse listings on TruckDrivingJobs.com, a great resource to finding the perfect truck driving job for you.