Job Hunting 101: Comparing Truck Driving Companies
April 6, 2014
If you’re a new trucker excited about starting a new career, then it’s about time to learn the art of the job hunt. This guide will help you wade through the nonsense and find the best factors to consider when comparing different truck driving companies.
1. Compare metrics. Compare quantifiable metrics, such as mileage pay, average miles per week, benefits, home time, equipment, pay raises, opportunities, type of freight, bonuses, etc.
2. Ignore online rants. Working truck drivers typically don’t have time to go on the internet and complain about their employers. But, you know who has plenty of time on their hands? People who were fired or quit. Although some of the opinions you find online may have a grain of truth to them, you can bet a fair amount of comments are based on a biased perspective – that of a disgruntled former employee that couldn’t hold a job.
3. Find cold, hard facts. Rather than looking on forums, blogs, social media and other rant-prone sites, search for your company in the news. Make sure they aren’t going bankrupt, breaking the law, or exploiting their drivers.
4. Talk to truckers in the real world. If you want a real opinion about a potential company, then go to a truck stop and talk to the fine folks driving their trucks. Happy drivers will have plenty of good things to say, and since a lot of people don’t enjoy their jobs, you’re sure to hear the bad and the ugly as well. Talking to real truckers face-to-face will provide much more valuable information than anything you can find online.
Once you have done your homework, you’ll be ready to start your new career in a job that you’re sure to love. Just remember that you are a rookie, and you may have to work a little harder in the beginning to prove yourself. After you’ve paid your dues, you’ll become a valuable employee that they’ll never want to let go of.
Employers Advocating Safe Drivers
April 3, 2014
There has been a lot of research done on truck driver safety, plenty of federal regulations, as well as a few interesting studies on the costs and benefits to employers who ensure the safety of their drivers. As a result, many companies are making changes to their business practices that benefit drivers and the public at large.
In an article written after a deadly crash in Kansas, local trucker Wesley Smith explained, “Every month we keep up to date on our safety and the company’s really good about not making us get in a hurry, you know, when you’re tired, take a break, pull over, rest, don’t be out there endangering anybody.”
In the past, business owners have been known to pressure drivers into working over hours and pushing them to deliver loads with tight deadlines. However, there are now both federal laws and financial incentives for safer driving standards, resulting in a welcome change of employer mentality.
Why Truckers Need People Skills
March 26, 2014
Truckers are known as fiercely-independent, strong-minded loners that couldn’t give two hoots what anybody thinks of them. However, the most successful truck drivers understand the value in good people skills. They know how to charm better runs, better trucks, more miles and special favors out of their support staff. They are great communicators, and have good interactions with dock workers, DOT officers, safety directors, logbook auditors, load planners, mechanics and other drivers.
When it comes down to it, your ability to drive isn’t the only thing that matters. It certainly helps to be a safe and reliable driver, to be able to make shipments consistently on time and to get the job done right. But, to get the job in the first place, it takes people in the office making sales, coordinating pickups and drop offs, tracking driving hours and maintaining vehicles, among many other duties. Getting along with this support personnel will make your life easier, while getting on their bad side will make them far less likely to ever want to help you out.
Types of Truck Driving Jobs
March 26, 2014
Truckers come in all shapes and sizes – as do truck driving jobs. Choosing the right type of work is the first step in finding a career path that works for you. In the trucking industry, there are three major types of driving jobs, each with its own MAJOR differences: over the road (long distance), regional, and local.
Over The Road
This is the most exciting, grueling and lonesome work. It is not for the faint of heart, and it’s certainly not for the family man. Long haul truckers are gone for weeks at a time, living a nomadic lifestyle that is best suited for adventurous loners that don’t mind losing touch with the people back home. This type of job ecompasses your whole life, which is great for some people: people who just want to roam, who want to see each corner of the country, who are good at making friends on the fly, and then departing for long spells of solitude. Over the road jobs are also easier to find. Not many people can handle this type of work, so turnover is high and employers are always desperate to fill these positions fast. For these reasons, the pay is usually better.
Regional
The regional trucker also gets to make great money, with the added benefit of more home-time. A typical workweek is five days a week, with weekends off for time with the family. However, most employers don’t consider a “weekend” as something that begins Friday afternoon and ends Monday morning. Some companies won’t get you home until Saturday morning, often hauling a load that is expected to be delivered by Monday morning – meaning that you will have to depart again Sunday night. So, you get home at 7 a.m. on a Saturday and have to leave again around 11 p.m. on Sunday. There is a lot of variation between companies, though. Some are better at scheduling, some have nicer trucks while others have maintenance issues, some require loading and unloading while others don’t, some pay by the mile while others pay salary, and the average income between companies can vary quite a bit. However, since there is a serious shortage of truckers these days, chances are you can be picky and choose a better company with reliable trucks, high pay and good working conditions, especially if you have at least a year of experience under your belt.
Local
As a local driver, you will never be far from home. The type of work varies greatly, with duties that range far beyond simply driving. You could be loading and unloading, operating cranes and other heavy machinery, pumping fluids, or moving livestock. You will spend less time on the highway and more time on local streets with heavier traffic. The work is more physically demanding, and mental alertness is key with all the heavy-traffic driving that is required. Since more drivers seek out local jobs, the competition is far greater, and often, the pay is quite a bit less.
Each type of job comes with its own kind of living, and each takes a certain kind of style. Choosing the one that is best for you and your life will result in greater job satisfaction and overall happiness.