Facts About Driving a Big Truck
If you're interested in driving a big truck, you'll need to study for and obtain a CDL, or commercial driver's license, in order to drive the truck legally. If you don't have experience of any kind driving a truck, it's necessary you receive the required training at a truck driving school.
Recommended truck driving schools are listed at Truck Schools USA.com (see References) as well as at other sites on the Internet. An overview of the amount of driving that is required, the type of pay to expect, the minimum age requirements and general terminology are essential before you contact a school or consider driving a big rig as a career.
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Legal Drive Time
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Truckers are typically required to drive 11 hours followed by a 10-hour break. Regardless, you can't drive more than 14 hours without taking the 10-hour break no matter how many miles you actually clock. You're allowed to drive up to 70 hours in an eight-day span. Overtime isn't required after 40 hours. If you're off your post for 34 hours, you can again reset your hours in order to accumulate up to 70 hours for eight days' worth of driving.
Payment
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Truckers are paid by the mile. Therefore, it's important to drive as many miles as possible in order to obtain a fairly sizable check. Drivers are not paid if they're sitting in a dock waiting to load or unload a shipment or while stopped in traffic. They are paid only when they're actually moving. Depending on your experience and other variables, you can expect to earn anywhere from 19 cents to about 44 cents per mile, or from around $300 to $1,200 per week.
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Age Requirements
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Drivers who want to drive 18-wheelers cross-country must be 21 years old. For anyone who wants to drive an 18-wheeler locally or within a state, the minimum age requirement is 18. However, because insurance companies do not favor covering younger drivers, many trucking companies like to hire individuals who are 23, with many preferring candidates who are 25 or older.
Trucker Communications
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Truckers normally do not have to use a telephone very much, if at all. Most 18-wheelers come equipped with satellite systems, primarily the Qualcomm Satellite System. This type of communications system allows drivers to receive messages from the their customers via a computer in their truck. Each message tells the trucker when to arrive at his destination and the details of the pickup or shipment. It also relays the mileage and directions. Such satellite communication systems are also used to track the driver's whereabouts, the speed at which he's traveling and the amount of time he's been moving on the road. Systems measure gas consumption, idle time and engine rpms as well.
Cost of Trucks
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The overall cost for a new truck is generally from $80,000 to $120,000, with new trailers running from $30,000 to $60,000; therefore, if an individual decides to buy a truck and work independently, he may finance a truck for as high as $200,000, or close to it. Common brands of big trucks include Peterbilt, Freightliner, Kenworth, Volvo, Mack and Western Star.
General Terms
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Common terms used in trucking are bobtailing and jackknifing. When the trailer is not hooked to the cab of the truck, the trucker is said to be "bobtailing," or driving his truck without the trailer attached. This practice is especially dangerous in wet or icy weather conditions. When a truck is jackknifing, it means that the trailer has exceeded a 45-degree angle and is going faster than the truck or has gone into a skid, causing the trailer to come into contact with the truck. Jackknifing accidents usually happen in wet or icy weather conditions, although they can occur if the driver is carrying an empty trailer in dry conditions as well.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit trucks on highway image by palms from Fotolia.com
