Long distance truck driving can be tough. You’re away from home for days, sometimes weeks at a time. This is changing as employers recognize the need for family life, more so since government regulations have limited the number of hours a truck driver can be behind the wheel each week. Whilst truck driving can be a tough life, it can certainly be an interesting and rewarding life.

Smart truck drivers plan their career. They work the long distance routes when they are young, earning the big dollars wherever possible, in order to buy their first home and to set themselves up for family life. Many of these drivers then seek regular local work that has them home each night to enjoy their family life. I say “many” since quite a few drivers find themselves really enjoying life as a long distance trucker.

What does it take to be a long distance truck driver? That’s a tough question since every person is different, and it’s hard to quantify the traits required. Truck driving is truck driving – long distance truck drivers spend hours on the road, in a cab, on their own. But then, so too do local drivers, it’s just the hours aren’t quite as long. Long distance and local truck drivers both require CDL’s, road sense, and an ability to work to a tight schedule.

Home time is the big difference. Can you survive in a job that takes you away from home for long periods? Truck driving is not the only career that has this requirement. The military, mining, oil platforms and the sea all have similar effects on home life. If you’re young, carefree (or just carefree), then life as a long distance truck driver could be perfect for you.

One of the attractions of truck driving for those who are single and free to roam is that they can get paid for doing just that. There are not that many jobs that pay you to see the nation. That’s the potential of truck driving, especially those who can handle long distance truck driving. If you don’t have a set central base, you can effectively take loads that enable you to see everywhere.

Coast-to-coast truck driving is the norm for many as is south to north, including into Canada (or reverse, north to south and into Mexico). Truck driving is also a little like the hospitality industry – drivers follow the work, often jumping from state to state to look for new challenges. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of work for local drivers. There is. However, the shortage of good truck drivers means that businesses are often recruiting from outside the local area – more so for remote areas.

Whether you are looking for local work as a truck driver, intrastate work or long distance work, truck driving has opportunities everywhere. The training is almost the same for all drivers and it includes the acquisition of a commercial drivers license.

If you’re single and free to see the country, consider truck driving. You can start by driving long distance, earning good money, and perhaps even saying heaps. Once you are ready to settle down, you can take a closer look at local or near local driver job opportunities. We can help you gain your commercial drivers license, and we can work with you to gain that first job. If you want to see the nation (and perhaps even the world), then consider truck driving as a career. Your skills and license will be recognized right around the country.

Most truck drivers work standard hours, Monday to Friday. Some are even required to work on Saturdays. Long distance truck drivers don’t have it so lucky. They can work long hours, amassing up to 82 hours over seven days. That is about to change with new federal regulations limiting the number of hours that a truck driver can work each week.

Truck drivers are no different to anyone else – they get tired after working long hours. One of the leading causes of truck accidents is driver fatigue, so to combat this, the U.S. Department of Transport is bringing in new rules. Drivers will be limited to 70 hours over seven days, with a maximum of eleven in one day. They will also need to take a break of at least 30 minutes after an eight hour driving stint.

If a truck driver does maximize their working hours (work the full 70 hours), they will be required to take at least 34 consecutive hours off, and that means out of the truck. The downside for some truck drivers will be the loss of income. Some drivers are paid according to the miles they drive each week – the loss of twelve hours represents a reduction of almost 15%; that’s 15% less mileage and 15% less in a pay packet.

On the positive side, it will increase the number of truck drivers required to complete the same amount of work as now. In theory, a 15% reduction in work hours should equate to a 15% increase in the number of new drivers required. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple – many trucking companies are already limiting their truck drivers to 70 hours each week.

For truck drivers, this change will have an important effect on their daily routine. They will need to keep very accurate log books that clearly show the number of hours they have spent behind the wheel, the length of any breaks, and the number of hours they have spent outside their vehicle. Failing to keep accurate logs is a serious offense, one that could result in a truck driver losing their job, their license, and their ability to work as a truck driver. In the long run, reduced hours are better for truck drivers, and perhaps other drivers on the roads as well. Tired truck drivers do cause accidents, so if this move helps to reduce that effect, then the roads will be safer for everyone.

Truck driving is one field of employment that is constantly in demand. Although air, rail and sea often transport products, almost everything still requires transporting by truck – even if it is only a short distance from the air, rail or sea port to its final destination.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has forecast a growth of 8% in job numbers over the next six years. This is an increase of over 250,000 additional drivers bringing the total number to over 3.6 million. Add to this the number of drivers retiring or moving on to alternative careers, thought to be around 5% each year, and you can see why truck drivers, particularly those with their commercial drivers licenses (CDL), are in high demand.

Long distance haulage can be demanding with drivers having to spend not just hours away from home, often it is days or even weeks. Some drivers have their rigs set up with beds, TVs and even microwaves and mini-refrigerators – talk about the comforts of home. However, driving for 10 hours straight, often overnight, can be wearing on the body. Fortunately, today’s trucks have the comfort of air conditioning, padded seats, power steering and GPS to help with navigation.

One of the benefits of obtaining and maintaining your Class A CDL license is that you can move in and out of the truck driving workforce. When employment in your regular field is tight, you can often rely on truck driving as a viable fill in. Heavy equipment operators can also benefit from obtaining their CDL as they are in a position then to transport their equipment to and from work sites. This saves a potential employer the problem of rostering two people to do a job – one to transport and one to operate.

The outlook is good for truck driving and now is a great time to take advantage of truck driver training. Once completed you will be in a position to take up many of the opportunities that will arise over the next 12 months.