Types of Truck Driving Jobs

There are many types of truck driving jobs. Your responsibilities vary greatly depending upon which type you choose. Explore the different possibilities before you decide which direction you take. The more specialized the job you choose the more money you will make.

(However, the catch is, usually you will need more experience for many of these types of jobs. Which is very sensible.)

Usually though this means either more work, responsibility, or level of danger. (Thus the higher pay) I am mostly familiar mostly with just regular dry van. I've done team driving for a month or two (it wasn't for me.

I did household years before I got my CDL license as a driver helper. If I was to do anything different as a driver, I would do household because of the money (as an owner operator) and exercise. They key is looking into what each type of truck driving jobs involve to determine which one interests you enough to learn more or get the experience needed to become that type of driver.

Here Is A List of The Different Types of Truck Driving Jobs

Reefers Hauler - 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. Sometime frozen or much below frozen. This adds an extra level of responsibility and an extra level of pay!

Flat Bedders - 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.

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 almost always are 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 haul trailers designed for the transportation of live animals. 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.

Auto 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 goods - (Also know as Bed Buggers)These are the guys who haul the furniture away when you contract a move. Hard work (good exercise) and good 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.

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. Anything you can imagine being imported may be in these containers.

LTL Drivers - In these types of truck driving jobs the driver carries less than a truckload which means multiple stops. These guys usually have to unload the freight themselves.

Class B Drivers - These jobs don't require a class A. Most of them pay hourly from $8 or $10 and up. They pay less but are usually your easiest to find local job. Garbage trucks, cement mixers and dump trucks are common class b types of truck driving jobs however there are many flat bed straight jobs too that require class b licenses.
Local Driving job - This type of job usually pays by the hour and the driver spends his or her night at home. A lot of these jobs do require long hours. You may leave before your family gets up and get home after they are sleep.

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 drivers - Also know as over the road drivers are usually away from home as much as 2 or 3 weeks. (sometimes more, sometimes less depends on the company you work with.) They go cross country from one location to another.

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 the members can't drive long hours as an individual. 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.

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