If you want to become a truck driver, now is a great time.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of opportunities across the United
States. Commerce is teeming, and with teeming commerce you need many fleets of
trucks to carry goods from point A to point B.
The duties of a truck driver include transporting finished goods and raw materials
over land, typically to and from manufacturing plants, retail and distribution
centers. Truck drivers are responsible for inspecting their vehicles for
mechanical items or issues relating to safe operation. Others, such as
driver/sales workers, are also responsible for sales and customer service.
There are many different types of trucks you can drive if
you choose to become a driver. There is a freight hauler, construction hauler,
hazardous hauler, tank hauler, flat bed hauler, local hauler, road driver, long
haul driver, low boy hauler, small doubles, large doubles, triples small,
straight trucks, or other specialized hauling. You may need different
endorsements for these.
But for all of these, you will need to get your CDL, or
commercial driving license. These can be obtained at truck driving schools.
There are public institutions, private schools, and motor carrier training. At
these training places, you'll learn to drive a truck and you will need to clock
a certain number of hours on the road before you are green-lighted to get the
CDL. Once this has been obtained, you can begin looking for work.
Some truck drivers work independently. They own and service
their own trucks but accept jobs to deliver loads from one place to another.
These are typically called long haul truckers.
There are typically three different types of truck drivers -
owners/operators, company drivers, and independent owner/operators. Owner/operators
own the trucks they drive and can either lease their trucks by contract with a
trucking company to haul freight for that company using their own trucks, or
they haul loads for a number of companies and are self-employed independent
contractors. Others who aren't financially ready to purchase a truck yet can
lease a truck from a company and make payments on it to buy it in two to five
years.
Company drivers work for companies and drive trucks that
they don't own. Typically these drivers get their trucks serviced by the
companies. Independent owner/operators haul goods and often drive their own
truck, possibly owning a small fleet anywhere from 1-10 trucks, maybe as few as
only 2 or 3 trucks.
Delivery drivers make about $13.27 an hour. Heavy truck and
tractor-trailer drivers make a little more than average: $16.85 an hour, but
this can be higher if the driver is independent or the rate is better. Also
they get money for every mile they drive, typically. Delivery drivers, on the
other hand, make less than average –
about $10 an hour.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment of
heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 21 percent from
2010 to 2020, faster than the average of all occupations. As households and
businesses increase their spending, the trucking industry will grow.
