Truck driver skills: pre-requisites for a successful employment

According to ATA, there are more than 4 million truck drivers in the USA. Obviously, this profession doesn’t seem to lose its popularity in the near future, as the inland transportation of cargoes is life-saving for the economy of that country.

Still, the carrying of different freights for long distances requires special competence from an applicant. Those who are eager to get behind the wheel of a heavy “iron horse” should have a profound knowledge of transportation of definite cargoes and possess truck driver skills. There is a division of drivers of long-haul truckers in the US, which depends on what they’re carrying:

• Dry Van Drivers: they specialize in transportation of nonperishable ingredients;
• Auto Haulers deliver cars, motorcycles, and ponderous agricultural machinery;
• Flat Bed Drivers carry large products of similar type, for instance, steel tubes or wood substance;
• LTL drivers, that is, goods less than truck load;
• Reefers shall know the rules of delivering of refrigerated or cooled products;
• Tanker drivers have to face transportation of liquid cargoes.

And now, just imagine that every single representative from the above-mentioned groups must take into account the balance of the carried cargo!

Truck driver skills: nuances of profession

Surely, carrying two hundred frozen beef carcasses which sway at any vehicle turn is not quite the same as transporting six thousand boxes of the reliably packed stationery. A professional driver shall always consider the exact weight, volume and specific character of transported things. Any mistake may result in a misjudging of the curve.

Special truck driver skills are needed as well. After a studying course a future driver shall pass the exam, which consists of three components:

• pre-trip inspection (checking of a truck before departure);
• yard skill test (knowledge of back-in parking);
• road test (driving).

Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the income of a long-distance trucker amounts to $30-90 thousand per year. Salary depends first of all on the qualification grade and experience of a driver. Let’s say, if you carry dangerous substances from New York to California, you’ll earn much more than your colleague who transports frozen fish from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.

The large companies like Microsoft or IKEA may pay from $1 to $3 per mile to the carriers with significant truck driver skills. Anyway, a newcomer who gets 40-50 cents per mile can be regarded as a lucky one. In case you have your own vehicle you may earn up to $10,000 monthly.

Additional skills

The profession of a truck driver requires physical stamina to assist in cargo loading/unloading and to stand extensive trips. An applicant should know how a vehicle operates to execute a necessary repair if needed. And, of course, stress resistance is a must-have quality. For, although well-paid, this occupation is still connected with emotional wringer.