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| TRUCKS BRING
IT! – AMERICA MOVES BY TRUCK |
At this very moment, and around the clock, coast-to-coast,
trucks are on the road hauling the essentials - everything the Nation
needs such as food, books, clothing, electronics, automobiles and medical
supplies. In 2006, the U.S. trucking industry hauled 69 percent of the
total volume of freight transported in the United States. More than 26
million trucks of all classes, including 2.9 million typical Class 8 trucks
operated by more than 580,000 interstate motor carriers, kept America
moving.
Trucking also plays an important role in trade exchanged between the United
States and two of our largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico. Trucks
transported 80.7 percent of the value of trade between the United States
and Mexico in 2006 and 64.4 percent of the value of trade between the
United States and Canada.
But a serious shortage exists in some segments of the trucking industry.
It’s not a shortage of freight or equipment; it’s a shortage of men and
women qualified to drive trucks.
Currently, there is a truck driver shortage of approximately 20,000 drivers
per year. This number is expected to increase to 111,000 drivers per year
by 2014. The shortage is not due to a lack of interest, just basic economics
– the demand for professional truck drivers is growing faster than the
number of new drivers entering the field. The industry is desperate for
new drivers. If you received your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) today,
it’s almost certain there would be a job available to you tomorrow.
To help solve the growing shortage of drivers, the American Trucking Associations
has developed a web site (www.GetTrucking.com) to help people interested
in a career as a driver find out how to go about it. The website has the
most up to date information on the trucking industry and can answer all
of your questions about life in trucking. The industry is looking for
both men and women of all ages who want to experience the open road.
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| PROFESSIONAL
TRUCK DRIVERS & TYPES OF DRIVING JOBS |
Most individual long haul drivers
average from 100,000 miles to 110,000 miles a year, with an average daily
run of about 500 miles a day. Regional and city drivers average about
48,000 miles behind the wheel annually. You do not need to buy or lease
your own truck for most driver jobs. The vehicle is provided for you and
usually maintained by the trucking company.
U.S. professional truck drivers are both men and women, vary in age, race
and educational background, and live all over the United States. There
are different types of truck drivers, including:
Over the Road / Long-Haul Drivers operate heavy trucks and drive for long
periods of time, either interstate (between states) or intrastate (within
one state). Some long-haul drivers travel a few hundred miles and return
the same day; others are away from home overnight, or for several days
or weeks at a time. Some drivers work in teams, including husband and
wife teams.
Pick-up and Delivery (P&D) / Local Drivers operate light, medium or heavy
trucks and work in route-sales or pick-up-and-delivery operations. These
drivers have more contact with customers than over the road drivers and
usually make more stops each day. Those P&D drivers often need sales skills
in addition to driving skills.
Specialized Trucking involves specialized trucks that handle unusual,
oversized or sensitive loads. Drivers cover local and long-distance routes,
and need extra training to operate their equipment. Examples of specialized
trucking include auto carriers, dry bulk carriers, (permitted) oversized
and overweight loads, or double and triple trailers. Other permits may
be needed.
Hazardous Materials Drivers need additional training. Drivers need to
know about the content of the loads they are hauling, how to handle the
loads safely and what to do in an emergency. Drivers who transport hazardous
materials must also take a special test when applying for the CDL that
certifies them as a hazardous materials driver. Examples of hazardous
materials drivers include tank truck, over the road or P&D drivers carrying
hazardous materials. Other permits may be needed.
An Owner-Operator or Independent Driver owns his or her equipment, anything
from a straight truck to a flat-bed tractor-trailer, and hauls freight
on a contractual basis. Husband-and-wife owner-operator teams are very
common, especially in the household goods moving industry. It is possible
to make a good living as an owner-operator, but like many businesses,
the competition is tight and there are many overhead expenses involved
– equipment purchases, maintenance, fuel and insurance, to name just a
few. Most owner-operators begin their careers as salaried drivers with
a motor carrier before starting their own business.
Rates of pay and potential earnings vary considerably within the industry.
Most city pick-up-and-delivery drivers are paid by the hour. In long-haul
operations, drivers are usually paid a specified rate per mile, or, in
some cases, a percentage of the revenue the motor carrier receives for
the load hauled.
Check
out more information on the Professional Truck Driver
Check
out more information on the types of trucks
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| DO
YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? |
To qualify for a truck driving job with a company operating
in interstate commerce, a driver must meet the minimum requirements prescribed
in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations guide. Each applicant
must pass a knowledge and skills test. In addition to federal regulations,
most companies have other rules and guidelines which a driver must follow.
Some basic requirements:
AGE: While many states allow those 18 and older to drive trucks
within state borders, federal regulations require drivers operating across
state lines to be at least 21 years of age. (Please note that most interstate
fleets do require over-the-road drivers to be at least 25 years of age.)
LICENSE: Every truck driver must have a valid Commercial Driver’s
License (CDL) issued by his/her state of domicile. A commercial driver
can hold a license from only one state. Specific endorsements (i.e.: hazardous
materials, tank, double or triple trailer) may be required depending upon
the company’s needs and the type of equipment you will be operating. Go
to www.fmcsa.dot.gov for information.
PHYSICAL CONDITION: The U.S. Department of Transportation requires
a driver to have a complete physical examination every two years. A driver
must not have suffered any loss of a limb, nor have any physical defect
or disease likely to interfere with safe driving, or has been granted
a skill performance evaluation certificate. A driver must not have a medical
history or clinical diagnosis of diabetes that requires insulin for control.
VISION: A driver must have a minimum of 20/40 vision in each eye,
with or without corrective lenses, and have a 70 degree field of vision
in each eye. Drivers may not be color blind.
HEARING: A driver must be capable of perceiving a forced whisper
in the better ear at not less than five feet, with or without the use
of a hearing aid.
EDUCATION: All drivers must be able to read and speak English well
enough to understand traffic signs, prepare required reports, and speak
with law enforcement authorities and the public. (Note: Some companies
may have additional educational requirements.)
SAFETY: The U.S. Department of Transportation sets safety rules
for interstate truck drivers (vehicle inspections, hours of service, etc.),
and drivers must learn these rules and comply with them. Most states have
adopted similar rules for intrastate drivers.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE: Strict regulations forbid the use of alcohol or
drugs prior to or while operating commercial vehicles. Drivers are subject
to drug and alcohol testing by their employers and by law enforcement
officials under four different circumstances: pre-employment, post-accident,
reasonable suspicion and random testing. A driver’s blood alcohol content
(BAC) must be no greater than 0.04 percent. Additionally, a driver must
have no current clinical diagnosis of alcoholism, and must not use any
illegal drugs.
CRIMINAL / DRIVING RECORD: A driver must not have been convicted
of a felony involving the use of a motor vehicle; a crime involving drugs;
driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol; or, hit-and-run driving
which resulted in injury or death.
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| GETTING
HIRED AND ADVANCING |
If you’re interested in becoming a driver, www.GetTrucking.com
is a starting point where you can find a motor carrier or truck driver
training school in your area that will work with you to get your Commercial
Driver’s License (CDL) and get you on your way to a new career.
Most trucking companies will want drivers with commercial driving experience,
most likely anywhere from two to five years of safe driving experience.
However, some companies operate their own driver training schools and
readily employ its graduates as new truck drivers. As a new trucking company
driver you will also be provided on-the-job, advanced training to help
you feel comfortable with the company’s equipment and operations before
venturing out on the open road.
Drivers who succeed are usually those who have excellent driving records,
participate in company and industry safety meetings and receive advanced
training. Truck drivers can, and often do, advance to jobs in sales, safety
or operations within their company. Other drivers become driver trainers
or advance to handle specialized equipment.
There are many career centers and job boards at your fingertips, but www.GetTrucking.com
is the most effective for targeting truck driving as a career. We are
the trucking industry, the industry that needs your skills and dedication,
not just a job board or career center looking to make a profit.
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| EDUCATION
OPTIONS – HOW TO CHOOSE A TRUCK DRIVING TRAINING SCHOOL? |
A good way to get started on a career in driving is by
enrolling in a truck driver training program. Driver training schools
can be found in most parts of the country, often in community colleges,
vocational-technical schools, and through private, proprietary schools.
Many trucking companies also operate their own training facilities. Log-on
to www.GetTrucking.com and fill
out a New Candidate profile and choose which truck schools or motor carriers
you would like to hear from. Click the buttons at the bottom of the web
page to learn more about the Commercial Vehicle Training Alliance, the
National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools or the Professional
Truck Driver Institute. Those organizations represent some of the most
reputable schools.
Choosing a good driver training school takes careful research and a lot
of comparison shopping. To find the program that is right for you, visit
as many schools either in person or on-line as you can and consider the
following guidelines:
The school should have adequate facilities for in-class instruction, comparable
to the average public school classroom. Classroom instruction should include
lectures and training videos, and should adequately prepare you to pass
the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) exam. Consider the teacher-student
ratio and what courses are offered. Be sure their class curriculum is
outlined in detail. Contact your state division of motor vehicles for
a copy of the CDL study manual.
The school should provide a variety of well-maintained trucks, tractors
and semi-trailers to train you for local, long-haul and city pick-up-and-delivery
driving. The school should have an off-street area for initial, behind-the-wheel
instruction in vehicle handling and maneuvering.
Instructors should have a solid background in truck driver training, combining
education and actual driving experience.
Be wary of schools that claim to be endorsed by the federal government,
trucking associations, specific truck fleets, or that claim to train you
in less than two weeks. Contact organizations to which such endorsement
is noted and verify the claims.
Check with the local board of education or business licensing agency to
see which certificates or licenses the school is required to have. Then,
check to see that the licenses are displayed and are valid. (Telephone
numbers for these agencies usually can be found in the state and local
government section of the telephone directory or on the web.)
One of the best ways to verify the reputation of a training school is
to ask local trucking companies if they hire graduates from that school.
Talk with recent graduates about the content and quality of training received,
and ask if they have been successful in finding a truck driving job. Ask
the training school how many student graduates receive their CDL.
Once you have decided on the program that is right for you, pay close
attention to the following details before signing the contract:
Read and understand the contract, and know exactly what your obligations
are. Verify the tuition and other costs and terms governing refund or
forfeiture of the down payment, should you fail to complete the program.
If necessary, make arrangements (and be sure you clearly understand the
terms) for financing the remainder of the tuition.
If the school is far from your home, check into the availability of room
and board at the school. Be sure to investigate adequacy and costs of
those facilities. If you have dependents, be sure you have made arrangements
to support them while you complete training.
Research the availability of truck driving jobs where you live and realize
that you may need to relocate in order to find a driving job. For a listing
of truck driver training programs, log-on to www.GetTrucking.com
and fill out a new candidate profile.
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| SAFETY
ON THE ROAD |
The most important factor in determining if trucking is
the career for you is whether you are willing to make a commitment to
be safe and professional.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has led the campaign for tough
safety laws that affect every truck driver on the nation’s highways. ATA’s
overall safety agenda includes greater education on sharing the road with
large trucks, reinstatement of a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph
for all vehicles, the adoption of primary safety belt laws in all states
and increased traffic enforcement for all vehicles that operate unsafely
around large trucks. ATA also supports limiting truck speeds at the time
of manufacture.
As a means of further improving highway safety, ATA was instrumental in
getting the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) program established. The
goal of the program is to ensure that drivers of large trucks and buses
are qualified to operate these vehicles and, to remove unsafe and unqualified
drivers from the highways. State licensing agencies administer the program
which requires them to adopt national minimum testing standards to license
a CDL driver. Driving records for all CDL holders are retained in a centralized
computer registry to prevent drivers from obtaining multiple licenses,
hiding violations and driving status. ATA was also involved in establishing
mandatory drug and alcohol testing requirements, increase in roadside
safety checks and banning radar detectors from all commercial trucks operating
in interstate commerce.
Check
out the Safety Record of the Trucking Industry
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