Truck Driving Careers

Salary ranges from $7.04 to $23.75 per hour

Overall employment of truck drivers and driver/sales workers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2012, due to growth in the economy and in the amount of freight carried by truck.

The increased use of rail, air, and ship transportation requires truck drivers to pick up and deliver shipments. Demand for long-distance drivers will remain strong because these drivers transport perishable and time-sensitive goods more efficiently than do alternative modes of transportation, such as railroads.

Job opportunities for truck drivers with less-than-truckload carriers will be more competitive than those with truckload carriers because of the more desirable working conditions for less-than-truckload carriers.

Career Requirements

State and Federal regulations govern the qualifications and standards for truck drivers. All drivers must comply with Federal regulations and any State regulations that are stricter than Federal requirements.

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Job Description

Firms of all kinds rely on trucks for pickup and delivery of goods because no other form of transportation can deliver goods door to door. Even if goods travel in part by ship, train, or airplane, trucks carry nearly all goods at some point in their journey from producer to consumer.

Before leaving the terminal or warehouse, truck drivers check the fuel level and oil in their trucks. They also inspect the trucks to make sure the brakes, windshield wipers, and lights are working and that a fire extinguisher, flares, and other safety equipment are aboard and in working order.

Drivers make sure their cargo is secure and adjust their mirrors so that both sides of the truck are visible from the driver’s seat. Drivers report equipment that is inoperable, missing, or loaded improperly to the dispatcher.

Once under way, drivers must be alert to prevent accidents. Drivers can see farther down the road, because large trucks sit higher than most other vehicles. This allows drivers to seek traffic lanes that allow for a steady speed, while keeping sight of varying road conditions.

Delivery time varies according to the type of merchandise and its final destination. Local drivers may provide daily service for a specific route, while other drivers make intercity and interstate deliveries that take longer and may vary from job to job.

The driver’s responsibilities and assignments change according to the time spent on the road, the type of payloads transported, and vehicle size. New technologies are changing the way truck drivers work, especially long-distance truck drivers.

Satellites and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) link many trucks with company headquarters. Troubleshooting information, directions, weather reports, and other important communications can be delivered to the truck, anywhere, within seconds.

Drivers can easily communicate with the dispatcher to discuss delivery schedules and courses of action in the event of mechanical problems. The satellite linkup also allows the dispatcher to track the truck’s location, fuel consumption, and engine performance.

Many drivers also work with computerized inventory tracking equipment. It is important for the producer, warehouse, and customer to know the product’s location at all times, in order to keep costs low and the quality of service high.

This site contains all original Content.
Some data sourced from: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

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