Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers

Summary

Truck drivers transport goods around the country.

Quick Facts: Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers
2010 Median Pay	$37,770 per year $18.16 per hour
Entry-Level Education	High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	1 to 5 years
On-the-job Training	Short-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	1,604,800
Job Outlook, 2010-20	21% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	330,100

What Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers Do

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor-trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds per gross vehicle weight (GVW). They deliver goods over intercity routes, sometimes spanning several states.

Work Environment

Working as a long-haul truck driver is a major lifestyle choice, because these drivers can be away from home for days or weeks at a time. They spend much of this time alone.

How to Become a Heavy or Tractor-trailer Truck Driver

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers usually have a high school diploma and 2 years of related work experience. They must have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

Pay

The median annual wage of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $37,770 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 21 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. As the economy grows, the demand for goods will increase, and more truck drivers will be needed to keep supply chains moving.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers by contacting these additional resources.

What Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers Do About this section

Most heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers plan their own routes.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor-trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds per gross vehicle weight (GVW). They deliver goods over intercity routes, sometimes spanning several states.

Duties

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically do the following:

• Load and unload cargo
• Drive long distances
• Report to a dispatcher any incidents encountered on the road
• Follow all applicable traffic laws
• Inspect their trailer before and after the trip, and record any defects they find
• Keep a log of their activities
• Report serious mechanical problems to the appropriate personnel
• Keep their truck, and associated equipment, clean and in good working order

Most heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers plan their own routes. They may use satellite tracking to help them plan.

Before leaving, a driver usually is told a delivery location and time; but it is up to the driver to find a way to get the cargo there.

A driver has to know which roads allow trucks and which do not. Drivers also must plan legally required rest periods into their trip. Some have one or two routes that they drive regularly and others drivers take many different routes throughout the country. Some also drive to Mexico or Canada.

Companies sometimes use two drivers on long runs to minimize downtime. On these "sleeper" runs, one driver sleeps in a berth behind the cab while the other drives.

Some heavy truck drivers transport hazardous materials, such as chemical waste, and so have to take special precautions when driving. Also, these drivers normally carry specialized safety equipment in case of an accident. Other specialized drivers, such as those carrying liquids, oversized loads, or cars, have to follow rules that apply specifically to them.

Some long-haul truck drivers, called owner-operators, buy or lease trucks and go into business for themselves. They then have business tasks, including finding and keeping clients and doing business work such as accounting, in addition to their driving tasks.

Work Environment About this section

Some truck drivers travel far from home and can be on the road for long periods at a time.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers held about 1.6 million jobs in 2010.

Many heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are employed in general freight trucking. The following table lists the industries that employed the most truck drivers in 2010.

Working as a long-haul truck driver is a major lifestyle choice, because these drivers can be away from home for days or weeks at a time. They spend much of this time alone. Truck driving can be a physically demanding job as well. Driving for many hours in a row can be tiring, and drivers must load and unload cargo.

Injuries

Due to the risk of traffic accidents, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers have a higher risk of injury than most other occupations.

Work Schedules

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates the hours that a long-haul truck driver may work. Drivers may not work more than 14 straight hours, 11 of which can be spent driving and the remaining time spent doing other work, such as unloading cargo. Between working periods drivers must have at least 10 hours off duty. Drivers are also limited to driving no more than 60 hours within 7 days or 70 hours within 8 days. They must take 34 hours off before starting another 7 or 8 day run. They must record their hours in a logbook. Truck drivers often work nights, weekends, and holidays.

How to Become a Heavy or Tractor-trailer Truck Driver About this section

Drivers learn the federal laws and regulations governing interstate trucking.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers usually have a high school diploma and 2 years of related work experience. They must have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

Education

Some companies require their truck drivers to have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Licenses

All long-haul truck drivers must have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Qualifications for obtaining a CDL vary by state but generally include passing both a knowledge and driving test. States have the right to refuse to issue a CDL to anyone who has had a CDL suspended by another state.

Drivers can get endorsements to their CDL that show their ability to drive a specialized type of vehicle. Truck drivers transporting hazardous materials (HAZMAT) must have a hazardous materials endorsement (H). Getting this endorsement requires an additional knowledge test and a background check.

Federal regulations require testing truck drivers for drug or alcohol abuse with random testing while on duty. In addition, truck drivers can have their CDL suspended if they are convicted of a felony involving the use of a motor vehicle or while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Other actions can result in a suspension after multiple violations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website has a list of these violations. Additionally, some companies have higher standards than what federal regulations require.

Work Experience

Most trucking companies prefer their drivers to have at least 2 years of related experience. Many heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work as delivery drivers or as motor coach drivers before joining this occupation. For more information, see the profiles on delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers and bus drivers.

Training

Some drivers attend professional driving schools, where they take training courses to learn how to maneuver large vehicles on highways or through crowded streets. During these classes, drivers also learn the federal laws and regulations governing interstate truck driving.

In the near future, the U.S. Department of Transportation may require all interstate truck drivers to take a truck-driving course.

The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) certifies a small percentage of driver-training courses at truck driver training schools that meet industry standards and the U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines for training tractor-trailer drivers.

Important Qualities

Hand-eye coordination. Drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers must be able to coordinate their legs, hands, and eyes together well to always be aware of the situation around them and to drive such a heavy vehicle safely.

Hearing ability. Truck drivers need good hearing. Federal regulations require that a driver be able to hear a forced whisper in one ear at five feet (with or without the use of a hearing aid).

Physical health. Federal regulations do not allow people to become truck drivers if they have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or epilepsy, that may interfere with their ability to operate a truck. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website has a full list of medical conditions that disqualify someone from driving a long-haul truck.

Visual ability. Truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests. Federal regulations require a driver to have at least 20/40 vision with a 70-degree field of vision in each eye and the ability to distinguish the colors on a traffic light.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $37,770 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than the amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,730, and the top 10 percent earned more than $57,480.  

Drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers are usually paid by how many miles they have driven, plus bonuses. The per-mile rate varies from employer to employer and may depend on the type of cargo. Some long-distance drivers, especially owner-operators, are paid a share of the revenue from shipping.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates the hours that a long-haul truck driver may work. Drivers may not work more than 14 straight hours, 11 of which can be spent driving and the remaining time spent doing other work, such as unloading cargo. Between working periods, drivers must have at least 10 hours off duty. Also, drivers are limited to driving no more than 60 hours within 7 days or 70 hours within 8 days. They must take 34 hours off before starting another 7 or 8 day run. They must record their hours in a logbook. Truck drivers often work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 21 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average of all occupations.

As the economy grows, the demand for goods will increase, and more truck drivers will be needed to keep supply chains moving. Trucks transport most of the freight in the United States, so as households and businesses increase their spending, the trucking industry will grow.

Global positioning system (GPS) technology and better routing can make trucks more productive, limiting the need for more drivers. Also, as fuel prices rise, some companies may switch their shipping to rail to lower costs.

However, rail is unlikely to take much market share away from trucks, because even with high diesel prices, trucks are more efficient for short distances. Additionally, many products need to be delivered within the short time frame that only trucks can handle.

Job Prospects

Job prospects for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are expected to be favorable. Due to the somewhat difficult lifestyle and time spent away from home, many companies have trouble finding qualified long-haul drivers. Those who have the necessary experience and other qualifications should be able to find jobs.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about truck drivers, visit

Professional Truck Driver Institute

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration