Large vehicles for delivering cargo and freight exist around the world such as shipping vessels on the world’s oceans or freight trains on dry land, but trucking jobs are widespread across the United States because for some phases of freight delivery, trucks are the most effective and practical way to deliver items to and from retailers, manufacturers, and warehouses today. The size of the trucking and carrier industry today reflects this, and there is always a need for new operators of these vehicles so that the industry can stay strong. Learning to drive a truck means truck driver training and taking a truck driver test, such as online or in paper, to make sure that a person is fully qualified to start hauling items in these vehicles. Passing a truck driver test is a major step to beginning a job with freight delivery.
Trucking Today
Going to truck driving school and passing a truck driver test allows a person to enter a large and much-needed field. For example, as of 2013, trucking across the United States delivered an impressive total of 15 billion tons of cargo, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by the year 2040, this figure could very well climb to 18.79 billion tons. And as of 2015, there were some 3.5 million truck driver employed across the United States, and this figure could also rise in the future so that all that cargo can be delivered by trained professionals. Overall, trucks are delivering around 70% of the United States’ freight, and once a person resolves to start training and pass the truck driver test, that person can look for local truck driving jobs and get started on this career.
Being a Truck Driver
A person interested in learning to drive these vehicles may find online training courses to join and complete, and in fact a lot of training for jobs today is done with the convenience of the Internet, allowing students anywhere to learn what they need and pass online examinations to get certification and other qualification for all kinds of work. In general, to become a truck driver, a person will have to pass a truck driver test in paper or online, as well as have the correct type of driver’s license. Most likely, a person will have better chances to become a truck driver by not having a serious criminal record (such as drug use or serious traffic violations).
Many trucks are delivering ordinary cargo, such as items for major retailers like Wal-Mart or Target, and some truck drivers may end up driving reefer trucks, which are those that have refrigerator units installed in them to keep cargo cool. Often, foodstuffs like wine, dairy products, frozen processed foods, and more will be transported in a reefer truck, most often to grocery stores or to or from wineries.
Other trucks, meanwhile, will be dedicated to carrying hazardous materials, and for this work, a student will need to pass not just a truck driver test, but also other online training mandated by OSHA and similar agencies to make sure that all crew members involved are working safely and responsibly. What kind of dangerous materials might be transported in a truck today? Often, flammable oil or natural gas is being transported in canisters in trucks, and many of them are driving out of Texas, delivering the oil that is often found in that state. Other hazardous materials may include liquid nitrogen, a dangerously cold liquid that is stored in specialized tanks when transported by truck. Even dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide, is a sort of hazardous material due to the threat of frostbite or breathing carbon dioxide gas, and such ice must be kept in a very cold environment. Other very dangerous materials such as nuclear fuel rods or toxic sludge or powerful industrial chemicals might be stored and transported in a truck, so passing OSHA tests as well as a truck driver test will be needed. Crews who drive or work with trucks delivering hazardous materials may take personal precautions such as wearing gas masks or breathers, gloves, or even full body suits to protect them from various fumes, airborne particles, cold dry ice, or even radiation in some cases.
