The outlook for the trucking industry is indeed excellent. These is a huge shortage of drivers in general and over-the-road drivers particularly. With a good CDL Class A, the job security in the future is virtually assured. Individual trucking companies that bankrupt generally stem from bad management, not lack of business.
TYPES OF TRUCKING
These are the three types of trucking:
1, Local: this involves mostly loading and unloading at local businesses. Pay is usually hourly and drivers are home every night. Long days are typical (8-10 hours).Such an example of a driver is a tanker service that deliver gasoline.
Local drivers usually only need a Class B CDL to drive such things as the UPS delivery trucks, break trucks or dump trucks.
2, Over-the-Road : delivering freight in all or part of the 48 states and Canada. Pay is usually by the mile, with 2,500 miles per week a reasonable expectation. Drivers are limited driving/working upto 70 hours in 8 days, with a maximum of 10 hour work session before an 8 hour break. More money is made when less loading/unloading is required (no touch freight), freight is point-to- point rather than multiple stop and traffic lanes avoid congested areas like New York City. Drivers are away from home an average of 1-4 weeks at a time.
Additional terms in OTR trucking a regional (a limited running area like the southeastern states), dedicated (same run or runs day after day) and irregular route (new delivery routes each time). Examples are J.B. Hunt and USA Truck.
3, Short Haul: companies that haul LTL (less than truckload) freight terminal to terminal (hub to hub). Pay may be mileage based or hourly. Time away from home is usually one or two nights at a time. Some of the best pay and benefits are found in this type of trucking but hiring is very selective and some OTR experience is normally needed. Short haul companies include UPS (doubles on the highway) and Roadway.
YOUR HOME TIME
No one should ever enter the trucking industry without being prepared to sacrifice some home time. Even local drivers may put in over 10 hours a day at times.
The OTR industry will usually give a driver one full day off for every week (7 days) away from home. This makes trucking a lifestyle, not just a career change so be prepared!
Most good paying local and short haul companies like at least a year's experience OTR. This demonstrates reliability and skill of prospective drivers. The OTR industry will give an 'out-of-school- new driver a training period with an experienced Driver Trainer to get them started right (period of 4 weeks or more)...local and short haul usually don't have this extra training.
While solo driving companies (one driver in the truck verses a team operation) often allow a rider in the truck, smaller children are normally not allowed to ride.
A rule of thumb is this: if you and your family cannot invest one year of your life with an OTR company, trucking may not be for you.
QUALIFICATIONS YOU WILL NEED.
Different companies will have varying policies in all of these areas, but here are some of the general qualifications:
AGE: to drive out of state, minimum age is 21 years old.
CDL CLASS A: must have this with some endorsements (hazardous materials, doubles or tanker for example) and training from an recognized trucking school.
D.O.T. PHYSICAL: must pass a standard department of transportation physical and a drug screen (illegal drug use is an immediate disqualification). A history of heart trouble, mental illness or back injury often will be additional drawbacks to hiring.
DRIVING RECORD: a good driving record with no more than three moving violations (speeding, running stop sign, etc.) and/or accidents in the last three years is a median qualification, but there is great latitude in this area from company to company (some stricter, some more lenient). A DUI/DWI on the driving record in the past 5 years is normally a disqualification...many companies require 10 years. Reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and fleeing a police officer are also strong negatives.
CRIMINAL RECORD: companies crossing the border into Canada may not send a driver with a felony conviction on those runs: Canada will arrest the driver and seize the truck. A Canadian waiver or Ministers Permit must be obtained to legally cross the border.
Drug or theft related crimes are usually immediate disqualifications. Felony convictions in general must normally be at least 10 years old, but many OTR companies will not hire anyone with a felony record at any time.
YOUR WORK HISTORY: because of the high driver turn-over, particularly in the OTR industry, a stable work history is of course needed. Long periods at one job and military service are very strongly desired by all major companies. Job hopping without a good (attached to the application) explanation is usually a disqualification straight away.All trucking companies must call and verify former employers at least 3 years back, so all relevent and accurate information is vital.
