Truck drivers provide an indispensable service by transporting goods and services worldwide. They are also responsible for mechanical maintenance, customer service and sales at times.
There are three main truck driving jobs: Owner-operators, company drivers and independent owner-operators. Owner-operating truck drivers are drivers that own their own trucks. These truck drivers can rent their trucks, drive for certain companies or be self-employed drivers. Company drivers are drivers that work for a certain company and drive the company's trucks only. Independent owner-operators are those drivers that own a few trucks of their own and can drive their own products and or services.
Types of drivers
There are also many jobs in truck driving industry, which include the following.
Regional drivers are drivers who work in different states close to their home and might be gone for a few days. Local drivers are drivers who stay close to home and come home on a daily basis.
Flatbed drivers carry large and heavy things like steel pipes, lumber, and tanks. Dry van drivers carry stable and unstable goods in big trailers. Reefer drivers are drivers that carry frozen and hot goods.
Interstate drivers are drivers that drive very long distances and are gone for days, weeks, and months.
Team drivers are drivers who have someone going with them and take turns driving; it is usually a husband and wife. Tank drivers are drivers whose trucks carry diesel, fuel, gas and petroleum.
Vocational drivers are drivers that drive tow trucks, dump trucks and cement mixers trucks. The bull rack is drivers who take livestock around their hometowns and all over the United States. Household goods are drivers who take personal items, like a moving truck. LTD drivers drive double and triple trailers. Boat haulers are drivers who carry full-size loads like for bass boats or regular boats.
Types of truck driver pay
A truck driver's salary varies. They could get paid by salary, hourly or by a base rate. Base rates are paid by the miles that are driven or by the load. Some truck drivers get paid by the miles they run. Large companies that have U-Haul drivers pay them by the short miles. The short miles refer to the miles that are driven to pick up the load and is then calculated by how much the truck driver gets paid.
There is also the practical miles pay, which is mostly offered to the veteran truck drivers. This is when the driver is given a specific route to take and is paid for it. It said that over the road truck drivers have the highest paying jobs.
Wal-Mart is said to pay the highest salary of $71,500 a year, plus the bonus that is given at the end of each year. Mississippi is the state that pays the highest wages to truck drivers.
Even though some people might not agree with truck drivers receiving higher wages than any other job, they do not have it that easy. They are responsible for learning all the rules and regulations of each city, county and state they go through. Truck drivers also suffer from health problems like obesity, smoking and sleep deprivation. They are also at risk when they have to rest at truck stops. There have been many cases where these truck drivers get robbed and/or killed. It also takes skills to deal with oncoming traffic and a whole lot of patience and concentration for this kind of job.
Article sources
http://www.truckerstraining.com/work-for-best-trucking-companies/
http://www.truckdriverssalary.com/best-trucking-companies-to-work-for/