Truck Drivers Jobs Explained

At present there is an abundance of truck drivers jobs right throughout the United States. In fact there is a great shortfall of qualified drivers which means that many trucks are laying idle because there just isn't enough truck drivers to keep them on the road. This is a tragic waste of resources but nothing can be done about it until enough new recruits have come through the training doors. The trucking industry is a demanding one and consequently there is a high turn over of truck drivers. Their jobs are increasingly well paid to compensate for the stresses and time spent away from home, but truck drivers are still urgently required to address this shortfall.

Truck drivers jobs usually fall into these two areas: 1. Intrastate drivers - those that drive locally within the boundaries of their own state lines. Jobs for local drivers will usually be in light, medium or heavy trucks, often with pick-up and delivery situations. They are more involved with customers and in a day will usually be making many stops. 2 Interstate drivers - OTR (over the road) drivers, or long-distance drivers who spend many days and weeks away from home travelling from one side of the country to the other. Drivers in these jobs will be operating heavy trucks and will usually always be away at least overnight.

To be able to take a job as an interstate driver you need to be 23 years of age and have your Commercial Driver's License. Intrastate drivers are able to hold their license at 21 years, however they are unable to take their trucks over the state lines.

There are many types of truck drivers jobs available some requiring specialized endorsements and qualifications. The rookie driver can aspire to these jobs as he or she obtains the necessary driving experience which is first required: Some of the them are: 1. Specialized drivers - Such as double and triple trailers, auto carriers, tanker trucks, dry and wet bulk carriers and heavy equipment carriers. These types of jobs require the driver to have undergone extra training in order to drive their specialized trucks. 2. Transporting hazardous materials - This is a course that is quite often offered during CDL training, or it can be offered by employers. Drivers in these truck jobs need to know important safety regulations, such as what to do in case of an emergency, and the characteristics of the substances that they haul. 3. Owner-operator -Also called independent drivers. They own their own equipment and run their affairs as a small business. A large part of the long-haul industry is made up of these operations. More than not they have begun their truck drivers job as a salaried driver, and from there they move into purchasing their own rig becoming an independent contractor. Husband and wife owner-operator teams are becoming more and more commonplace in the industry.

Wages do vary with the different truck drivers jobs. Local drivers usually work a 40 hour week and are then eligible for overtime after that. The long haul drivers can earn more depending on seniority, type of truck being driven, and the amount of miles driven or hours worked. Wages will also vary from state to state. Truck drivers can expect to earn on their first job somewhere around $34,000, while it is expected that a second year driver will earn in excess of $40,000. This is just the beginning though, as specialized truckers can earn up to $70,000 per year and even more.



Truck Driving Jobs