Types of Truck Driving Jobs
There are many types of truck driving jobs. Your responsibilities vary greatly depending upon which type of job you choose. Explore the different possibilities before you decide which option you take. The more specialized the job you choose the more money you will make.
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These specialized types of jobs pays more because it there is more work, more responsibility and could be a higher level of danger. I have driven doubles from coast to coast for a few months in a team operation. Most of my driving has been regular dry van but specializing in furniture transport. |
They key is looking into what each type of truck driving jobs involve doing in order to determine where you want to eventually end up. Furniture transport for instance is demanding and dirty. You unload a truck load of furniture at multiple stops.
A lot of drivers don't want to do this. But if you want to find a trucking job that helps you stay in shape and pays you better than average, furniture transport may interest you.
List of Different Types of Truck Driving Jobs
Pulling a Dry Van
- This is the most common trucking job for new drivers. Usually a
53ft trailer to haul dry or none perishable goods. Since these jobs are
the easier to get and require the least from the driver they are also
the lowest paying trucking job. (Generally speaking) Depending on what
you are hauling in those dry vans which might be determined by the type
of company you work for down the road. Again, as far as new drivers,
you will likely be hired to pull regular freight over the road in these
trailers.
Pulling Reefer or Hauling Refrigerated Freight
- These are the units that you see with the air conditioner at the
front of the trailer. They haul freight that must be kept at or below
specific temperatures sometimes frozen or even below frozen. This adds
an extra level of responsibility and an extra level of pay!
Freight haulers
'Freight haulers' is a broad umbrella term that you will hear used often
by truckers who are not regular freight haulers. For instance a bull
hauler may refer to a driver pulling refer or dry van as a freight
hauler.
Technically we all are freight haulers, but technically doesn't really matter. What matters is that you know what is implied when the term is used. For more info click on the link.
(Just
like technically we all are on a diet, but society perceives the meaning
as specifically eating in a way and with the purpose to lose weight.)
Hauling Flat Bed Loads
- They are the guys you see hauling anything from airplanes to
scaffolding for construction to tanks for the military.They can also
haul oversize and other freight that is just not suitable for loading
inside of a trailer. The loads needed to be secured more cautiously and
sometimes tarped in inclement weather. More work, more pay.
Pulling a Low Boy
- These are the trailers you see with the middle real low to the
street/highway/ground(you know what I mean). I don't know for sure why
its low like that, I would think its lower to lower the center of
gravity or so taller equipment can ride without increasing the height
from the ground. In any case these often used in
hauling over sized and overweight
loads and sometimes over length. Often they require escort vehicles
when transporting these loads depending on where they are traveling.
(Different states has different guidelines and restrictions)
Tankers
- Tankers are used mostly to haul liquids. These guys haul anything
from the gasoline you use everyday to the milk you buy in the grocery
store. They also haul chemicals and gases which may be highly
explosive. Special training is required because it is easy to turn over
hauling liquid as the center of gravity changes. What many people don't
realize is that tankers are also used to haul dry bulk products like
sugar and cement.
Bull Haulers
- They pull trailers designed for the transportation of live animals.
Most often cattle. These guys learn a lot of special rules to hauling
live animals. Many bull haulers follow the footsteps of their family
members. Thanks to them, your local grocer is able to provide you all
the meat you can afford. Click on the title to see a video of a bull
hauler in on the job
Auto haulers / Car haulers
- Pretty self explanatory. You've seen the special trailers loaded up
with all types of vehicles. They may be transporting from a port or an
auction to your local lots. A lot of responsibility and of course more
pay.
Household Movers - Bed Buggers - Van Lines
- These are the guys who haul the furniture away when you need to get out of dodge. Ok relocate or move.
Hard
work (good exercise) and great pay. I have heard long term guys talk
about wear and tear on your body. On the flip side I have seen some
older cats who looks like they are in great shape and younger than you
would guess. Do a test....go up to couple of Van Lines crews and find
the oldest looking guy and ask how old he is. If he is over 50, I be he
won't look it!
Container Haulers
- These are the metal containers that you also see going across the
country on train cars. These guys usually pick their containers up from
ports and take them to distribution points or from terminal to terminal
or another port. Anything you can imagine being imported may be in
these containers. Lol, and who knows what else! Check out the funny
container video.
LTL Frieght
Drivers - In these types of truck driving jobs the driver carries less than a truckload
which means multiple stops of just a few pieces, not a trailer barely
loaded. These guys usually have to unload the freight themselves.
Class B Drivers
- These jobs don't require a class A. Many of them pay hourly from $8
or $10 and up. They pay less but are usually your easiest to find local
job. They higher paying Class B jobs are a little harder to get and
could vary greatly. There are straight trucks, buses, tow trucks and
other vehicles that you could drive with a Class B.
Dedicated Drivers -
- Dedicated trucking jobs could get you back home more often if you
life in the right location. They vary greatly depending on what type of
company has the position available. You could be dedicated to a
customer or delivery location. It could be a single route or a route
that alternates weekly. And the variety doesn't stop there.
Local Driving Jobs
- This type of trucking job usually pays by the hour and the driver
spends his or her night at home. A lot of these jobs do require long
work days. You may leave before your family gets up in the morning and
get home after they are asleep at night. Yes, I know, probably not
exactly what you had in mind for a local trucking job.
Regional Jobs
- Truckers driving regionally usually go out 2 or 3 states from their
local terminal. If their local terminal is at home then they usually
get home after being out every 2 or 3 days.
OTR Trucking
- Also known as over the road drivers are usually away from home
as much as 2 or 5 weeks. (sometimes more, sometimes less depends on the
company you work with.) They go cross country from one location to
another. This is an umbrella term which includes driving many types of
equipment. Almost any of the other types of trucking job can be OTR or
over the road as opposed to local, regional, dedicated.
Team Driving Jobs -
- These types of truck driving jobs require you to have faith in
another persons driving ability while you sleep. As you can imagine it can be frustrating. However, team driving can be the solution to people who finds themselves lonely driving by themselves.
Team
drivers can make more money as a team if both people have equal ability
at staying awake and driving no matter what time their shift happens to
occur. Teams work best if the 2 drivers have compatible personalities
and driving abilities.
Pulling Hoppers/ Hauling Grain -
Hauling grain is usually done with hopper trailers for easy dumping. It
takes training beyond what it would take to pull a dry van so I call it
a specialize area. I don't know a lot about hauling grain or pulling
hoppers but Steve O has said he would enlighten us with his short early
experience with pulling a hopper.It really sounded interesting and
dirty!
Oilfield Trucking Jobs
- These jobs are of course at some point linked to oil fields. Some
jobs go from oilfield to oilfield, others will have you hauling
equipment from equipment places to oilfields. Of course you will also
go from oilfield to refineries. Most companies that do this type of work
specialize in oilfield work. Other trucking companies may just have a division to service the oilfields.
Heavy Equipment Hauler
- trucking is tough enough driving regular freight but if you want more
money, more challenge, and more responsibility hauling heavy equipment
is one way to do it. It's kind of self explanatory what you will be
doing! (yes this is the same as pulling a low boy, I listed it both ways
so it would not be missed by someone searching for the job in the other
way)
Make sure you are up for doing what the description calls for when you
are deciding on the type of truck driving job you want. Remember though
that most of the specialized jobs like hauling liquid naturally require
a little experience first.
Now in addition to deciding on the type of truck driving job you want, when choosing a company you will need to know if you are interested in being a company driver or owner operator.
Truck Driving Jobs
Back to Becoming A Trucker
How to choose a trucking company
Types of Truck Driving Jobs
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