Driver Team Solo Positions: The Nitty Gritty On Truck Driving Jobs

Trucks and truck drivers are a constant presence on US highways and interstates. A person on even the shortest drive is likely to pass by a truck or two transporting goods, and even merchandise that travels by ship, train, or airplane travels on a truck for some phase of the journey to the customer. Because trucks are such a major part of industry, truck driving jobs are important positions and good paying jobs.

Truck drivers have many responsibilities. Before leaving the terminal or warehouse, truck drivers make routine checks of their vehicles, checking fuel and oil levels. They inspect the tires, brakes, and windshield wipers, and make sure that all safety equipment is loaded and functional. They report any problems to the dispatcher, who keeps track of all of these small details. Once they start driving, truck drivers must be constantly alert. They can see quite a long distance along the highway because they sit higher than most other vehicles. This puts them in a position of power on the road, as well as heightened responsibility.

Delivery requirements vary according to the type of merchandise, the driving assignment, and the final destination. Local drivers provide daily service along a specific route, while other drivers must make intercity and interstate deliveries based on specific orders. The driver's responsibilities and salary change based on the time spent on the road, the type of product transported, and vehicle size.

New technologies are revolutionizing the way that truck drivers work. Long distance truck drivers now have satellites and global positioning systems (GPS) to link them with company headquarters. Information, directions, and weather reports can be delivered to the truck instantly no matter where it is. Company headquarters can track the truck's location, fuel consumption, and engine performance. Inventory tracking equipment is now computerized, allowing the producer, warehouse, and customer to all check in on the products on the road. New technology is making truck driving an easier job, as seats become more comfortable, trucks have better ventilation, and cabs are better designed.

Some routes are very, very long, and these usually employ heavy truck or tractor-trailer drivers. On the longest routes, companies will hire two drivers for sleeper runs. Sleeper runs can last from days to weeks and the truck only stops for fuel, food, loading and unloading. The drivers switch off driving and sleeping in the truck.

Truck driving can be a demanding job. Some self-employed long-distance truck drivers who own and operate their own trucks spend most of the year away from home. The government restricts long distance drivers to no more than 60 hours a week as well as requiring 10 hours rest for every 11 hours driving. Many drivers work very close to this max time permitted because they are compensated according to the number of miles or hours they've put in. The difficulty of truck driving is well compensated, which makes it a popular job. In 2002, there were 3.2 million truck drivers.

Many trucking operations have higher standards than the Federal minimum requirements. Drivers are often required to be at least 22 years old, able to lift heavy objects, and have 3-5 years driving experience. Companies want to hire good drivers who work efficiently and cost less to insure. They like drivers who have enrolled in driver-training courses. New drivers might begin on small straight trucks and graduate to larger trucks and finally to tractor-trailers. A few truck drivers advance high enough to become dispatchers, managers, or traffic workers.

Heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers earned an average of $16 per hour in 2002. The highest 10% of this group earned more than $24 an hour. Driving a truck is a great career with lots of room for promotion and advancement. After moving all the way up the chain of promotion within a company, truck drivers often strike out on their own and open successful transport businesses.

Air Liquide is a major international company and is also a private carrier. This means it maintains its own truck fleet and hires truck drivers. Because Air Liquide is such successful company, driving jobs with Air Liquide are stable, well supported positions. Solo Air Liquide drivers can expect to be home 80-90% of the time and make between $50,000 and $70,000 a year depending on the type of run and work performance. Air Liquide provides benefits like medical and life insurance, performance benefits, ample vacation time, flexible spending accounts, and quarterly profit sharing. As Air Liquide grows and succeeds, so do each of its employees! If you are interested in a truck driving job, you should apply here to drive for Air Liquide. Find out more about Air Liquide!

---

Creating Traffic Jams

It's hard to imagine why anyone would pick up a... Read More

Rekindling Passion for Work

Passion comes in many forms. I'm focused on the version... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Try, Try, Again

This article relates to the Career Opportunities competency and explores... Read More

Stop Whining and Ask For What You Want!

When you want something, the best way to get it... Read More

Job Hunting Tips: Assessing Personal Value

A week out of work is a vacation. You can... Read More

How to Ask For a Salary Increase and Get Your Raise

Feeling overworked and underpaid? If you're starting to feel like... Read More

Hunting the Executive Head Hunter

5 tips to win over an executive head hunter or... Read More

Write Resume Keywords That Gets Your Application Read

As children we often used to read stories where magical... Read More

How Can Qualifications Help Your Proof Reading Career?

For those who are looking for a career as a... Read More

Career Searching: A Vision Without A Plan is a Hallucination

Success is not always something you necessarily find when you... Read More

Ten Things To Do If You Really, Really Hate Your Job

1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how... Read More

Telephone Job Interview Preparation Tips

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW BACKGROUNDTelephone interviews are quite common in today's job... Read More

Resume Formats ... The Hidden Pitfalls

Deciding on a resume format is the first major decision... Read More

Five Facts You Must Know When Changing Careers

Too often in life, we fail. We fail not because... Read More

Cover Letter Sample -- For the Corporate Flight Attendant

Writing a cover letter to send with your résumé can... Read More

Conduct An Informational Interview

Informational interviews are designed to get as much information as... Read More

Dynamic Pre-Hiring Practices

The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. Much time and... Read More

Fuzzy Headed Job Goals Lead to a Fuzzy Headed Life!

May I clarify in this article what I believe to... Read More

If Youre Fired, Will Past Employers Keep Your Secret?

Despite what some job seekers think, it is not illegal... Read More

How to Get Paid More Without Being Pretty or Good Looking

Guess what. The results are out they are ugly. Pretty... Read More

Listening for Interview Success

Yes I know that we usually think of interviews as... Read More

Federal Job Search Strategies: 7 Tips to Help You Succeed

Despite constant calls by politicians and policy makers to reign... Read More

5 Characteristics of a Dynamic Loan Processor

Not everyone is cut out to be a mortgage processor.... Read More

Using The Internet For Job-hunting

The Internet is a very useful tool for job seekers... Read More

Resurgence of the Time Sheet: Why You Should Write Down Your Workday Activities

One day I walked into my boss's office and said,... Read More

How to Become a Successful Freelance Translator

After completing their translation training programmes at higher professional education... Read More

The Night Worker

In the process of musing about our perennially awake world... Read More

Online Resume Formats

There are several types of online resume formats that can... Read More

Top Ten Reasons to Start A Catering Business

There is little doubt that Americans still have a deep... Read More

Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come --

Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse.... Read More

How to Know if You Are in the Right Career

Ever wonder if you are in the right career? If... Read More

Job Lead Websites To Use in Your Telecommuting Search

Let me ask you a question: are you tired of... Read More

Finding Success In Todays Job Market

This year we are experiencing the most dynamic and rapidly... Read More