An Introduction to Trucking
So you want to be come a over the road trucker? There are certainly some things you should know and think about before jumping into any hasty decisions.
Qualities of a truck driver:
- Good at handling situations of extreme stress.
- Can handle long periods of time alone.
- Patient. Very very patient.
- Can handle long periods of driving while maintaining focus and not falling asleep at the wheel.
- Savvy and good at creative solutions for those fun times when things go wrong.
- Can handle a lack of hygiene (showers every 1 -2 days. sometimes a week).
- Able to lift 50 lbs or more.
- Good eyesight
Several important pieces of info:
There are three types of trucks people drive between interstates:
Flatbed/step deck
- typically hauls construction equipment.
- The driver is responsible for securing the load using various tools.
- You will need to understand load distribution on the trailer and will often have to guide forklift driver on where to place pieces of the load.
- You will often be required to tarp (climbing and good balance)
- Good a driving in weird locations and conditions (dirt roads, high mountain passes, overcrowded construction sites)
Reefer/box
- A lot of patience.
- You have to deal with lumpers (contracted forklift drivers) in many cases or else unload the trailer on your own (many places provide tools for this).
-Maintain fuel level in refer and refer temperature
-Use load locks (longs poles that extend across the truck and lock in place keeping the load secure) on loads that stand above waste high or are double stacked)
-Mostly city driving when not on highway.
Tanker
- Good at connecting hoses (perfectionism preferred)
- Good at close-quarters driving
- Often dedicated runs
For more on trailers click here.
- typically hauls construction equipment.
- The driver is responsible for securing the load using various tools.
- You will need to understand load distribution on the trailer and will often have to guide forklift driver on where to place pieces of the load.
- You will often be required to tarp (climbing and good balance)
- Good a driving in weird locations and conditions (dirt roads, high mountain passes, overcrowded construction sites)
Reefer/box
- A lot of patience.
- You have to deal with lumpers (contracted forklift drivers) in many cases or else unload the trailer on your own (many places provide tools for this).
-Maintain fuel level in refer and refer temperature
-Use load locks (longs poles that extend across the truck and lock in place keeping the load secure) on loads that stand above waste high or are double stacked)
-Mostly city driving when not on highway.
Tanker
- Good at connecting hoses (perfectionism preferred)
- Good at close-quarters driving
- Often dedicated runs
For more on trailers click here.
What you need:
CDL
-First thing you need is a CDL or Commercial Driver's license. In most states this falls under the classification of Class A drivers license.
-You can get this by going through an official driving school or through on of the major carriers such as Prime or Swift.
-To sit the written portion of the test you will need a full original copy birth certificate, A driver's license, an address, pass DOT drug test and some money (not so if you are sponsored by a larger carrier)
-To sit the practical portion of the test you will need 100+ hours of driving time behind the wheel with a registered trainer. This includes a driving exam and a parking exam (because it really really sucks trying to parallel park a semi truck). Be aware that you will spend about a month if not more with your trainer so make sure it is someone you can get along with and if not request another one. Most companies want to avoid lawsuits of one kind or another (especially if your a woman driver training with a man)
-As soon as you get your CDL you will need to get it transferred over to the state you live in.
A Job
-If you have under 2 years of driving experience or are under 25 you can only get hired on by a larger carrier. This has to do with insurance. If you have less than 2 years of driving no third party insurance agency will allow a company to hire you. If you are under 25 then a smaller carrier can make a case with the insurance company, but that is a lot of work most of them will not do. Do your homework with the larger carriers, and if a recruiter promises you anything - GET IT IN WRITING! Just like in the army.
1 - 2 weeks worth of clothing
-Include a jacket even in the summer.
Entertainment
-Laptop computers rate fairly highly among truck drivers - they have wireless cards for connecting either into local wifi networks or bluetooth for connecting into network wireless. Alternatively are the new tablets which are great for keeping books on.
-Television sets
-books (novels and puzzles)
-Chain Smoking
Yes, in fact somewhere out there are drivers that sit at the wheel and chain smoke all day and night. I watched a guy suck down 40 cigarettes in 2 hours.
-Art sets
-Sewing and knitting
Food and water
-Whether you have a fully stocked fridge, ramen, cereal or even just trail mix you should always keep some kind of edible substance in case you get stuck
-I would recommend keeping a gallon of water even if you don't like to drink it. You just never know...
A shower bag
-Get a sports bag for all your showering needs
Laundry bag
-You can try and use a basket, but I have learned to love my old fashioned army laundry bag I got from my husband. You can buy them online or at an army surplus store.
Boots for flat-bedders
-First thing you need is a CDL or Commercial Driver's license. In most states this falls under the classification of Class A drivers license.
-You can get this by going through an official driving school or through on of the major carriers such as Prime or Swift.
-To sit the written portion of the test you will need a full original copy birth certificate, A driver's license, an address, pass DOT drug test and some money (not so if you are sponsored by a larger carrier)
-To sit the practical portion of the test you will need 100+ hours of driving time behind the wheel with a registered trainer. This includes a driving exam and a parking exam (because it really really sucks trying to parallel park a semi truck). Be aware that you will spend about a month if not more with your trainer so make sure it is someone you can get along with and if not request another one. Most companies want to avoid lawsuits of one kind or another (especially if your a woman driver training with a man)
-As soon as you get your CDL you will need to get it transferred over to the state you live in.
A Job
-If you have under 2 years of driving experience or are under 25 you can only get hired on by a larger carrier. This has to do with insurance. If you have less than 2 years of driving no third party insurance agency will allow a company to hire you. If you are under 25 then a smaller carrier can make a case with the insurance company, but that is a lot of work most of them will not do. Do your homework with the larger carriers, and if a recruiter promises you anything - GET IT IN WRITING! Just like in the army.
1 - 2 weeks worth of clothing
-Include a jacket even in the summer.
Entertainment
-Laptop computers rate fairly highly among truck drivers - they have wireless cards for connecting either into local wifi networks or bluetooth for connecting into network wireless. Alternatively are the new tablets which are great for keeping books on.
-Television sets
-books (novels and puzzles)
-Chain Smoking
Yes, in fact somewhere out there are drivers that sit at the wheel and chain smoke all day and night. I watched a guy suck down 40 cigarettes in 2 hours.
-Art sets
-Sewing and knitting
Food and water
-Whether you have a fully stocked fridge, ramen, cereal or even just trail mix you should always keep some kind of edible substance in case you get stuck
-I would recommend keeping a gallon of water even if you don't like to drink it. You just never know...
A shower bag
-Get a sports bag for all your showering needs
Laundry bag
-You can try and use a basket, but I have learned to love my old fashioned army laundry bag I got from my husband. You can buy them online or at an army surplus store.
Boots for flat-bedders
Getting Hired
As I mentioned before, smaller companies will or may not hire you if you have under 2 years of driving experience or under 25. The larger companies will hire anybody (Huge turnover rate) provided they are clean of drugs, have no felonies (require explanation for misdemeanors) and have a fairly clean driving record (no DUI/DWI's)
Many trucking companies will also post adds locally or on job search sites and alternatively you could send in a resume to a company you like in the hopes that they will employ you.
After hiring you they will most likely have you travel to their home terminal for training and school.
Many trucking companies will also post adds locally or on job search sites and alternatively you could send in a resume to a company you like in the hopes that they will employ you.
After hiring you they will most likely have you travel to their home terminal for training and school.
Driving records you should know about:
When you get you CDL, a federal DOT driving record is started. This is a points based system depending on any violations of the law that you have while driving. If you acquire a certain number of points your CDL is suspended. I have no violations so I do not know how this works exactly.
When you get a job a DAQ report is started. The DAQ report is essentially your driving history throughout all the companies you have worked for. This is the NUMBER ONE reason you should ensure that you have a dispatcher you get along with, because he or she is responsible for reporting on this to the safety person and then it goes on your company file. This file is then passed on to any other companies that you work for.
When you get a job a DAQ report is started. The DAQ report is essentially your driving history throughout all the companies you have worked for. This is the NUMBER ONE reason you should ensure that you have a dispatcher you get along with, because he or she is responsible for reporting on this to the safety person and then it goes on your company file. This file is then passed on to any other companies that you work for.
So if you decide to be a truck driver welcome to a hard, but simple and often rewarding life. Next time we will talk about Contractor versus company driver. So I hope to see you all here!