The responsibilities of a truck driver are very strenuous. Therefore regulations have been made to make things a little easier at their end. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, popularly known as HOS or Hours of Driving places an upper limit on the maximum number of hours for which a truck driver can drive at a stretch. A limit of fourteen hours has been kept as maximum after which a rest of ten to twelve hours has been recommended.
As a truck driver, there are various categories in which the entire job profile has been neatly segregated. The job responsibility depends on them. The major ones are:
Auto haulers: Auto haulers are a class of tuck drivers, who are required to haul different automobiles such as cars and bikes over specially crafted trailers.
Dry Van Drivers: Such truck drivers are skilled for transporting large quantities of non perishable goods over large distances on highways.
Flat Bed Drivers: The name given to these drivers is rather peculiar and is on account of the type of truck which they drive. The carrying bed of the truck is built rather flat, in order to accommodate very bulky items. Such items of bulk include canisters, tankers, machinery etc.
LTL drivers: LTL drivers refer to “less than truck load” drivers are specially meant for transportation as well as deliveries which are local in nature. Such truck drivers find great demand in moving and packing companies.
Reefer drivers: Reefer drivers are trained to drive trucks that are used to transport goods which are rather perishable in nature. They specially cater to transportation of frozen food items such as meat, beef, dairy products, etc.
Tanker drivers: Tanker drivers are the ones who exhibit their skill in driving those long tankers containing liquids such as gasoline and oil which can be spilled.
Academics are definitely not required for the career of a truck driver. A high school graduate is eligible. A truck driver has to be hand in hand with the transportation laws of various states and should also understand the working of a truck. He must have a license to drive. A valid truck driver should have a commercial driver's license, popularly known as a CDL.
In order to acquire this license, you are required to undergo two sets of examinations. The first test examines your skills to be potential truck driver. Apart from this, you are also required to pass a knowledge test that tests your familiarity on the various rules of driving. In order to apply for a commercial driving license, it is required that you be at least eighteen years of age.
As for training in truck driving, high school courses in driver training and automotive mechanics is helpful. Many private and public vocational-technical schools offer tractor-trailer driver training courses. Such training programs include driving trucks, maneuvering large vehicles on crowded streets and in highway traffic, and inspecting trucks and freight for compliance with regulations. The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), a nonprofit organization founded by the trucking industry, the manufacturers, and others, certify courses catered by the training schools that meet industry standards and Federal Highway Administration guidelines for training tractor-trailer drivers.
Drivers must get along well with people because they often interact directly with the customers. They must have good communication skills, self-confidence, initiative, tact, and a neat appearance. Recruiters also look for responsible, self-motivated individuals who are able to perform the job with little supervision.
Job opportunities should be favorable for truck drivers as they are required in almost all industries. The available jobs as a truck driver were about 3.2 million in 2004. Moreover vacancies will be created as experienced drivers quit this large occupation to transfer to other fields of work or retire.
On average a truck earns as much as about fifty thousand US dollars. The remuneration offered depends on the industry and years of experience.
If driving professionally appeals to you, this is a career for you.
