Truck driving may seem to be a very attractive profession in today's hard economic times. A career in truck driving can provide a person with good job stability, lots of traveling opportunities, excellent benefits, and no boss over your shoulder. If you decide to pursue a interesting career in trucking then you should know that there are many types of jobs available. Each job pays different and may require some special training.
Company Driver
Company driver's work for a trucking company, and are assigned to a certain tractor. The company sets up the load assignments and tells the driver where their next load will be. All the driver has to do is drive the truck and get to their destination on time.
Owner operator
An owner operator owns their own truck or is buying one, and works for him or herself. They get to decide when they want to work and where they want to go. Just like with any business, becoming an owner operator requires a lot of paperwork and business skills.
OTR (over the road)
OTR drivers are the ones who drive trucks for long distances and are out on the road for weeks. This is the most common type of driver out there and how most new drivers get their start. They drive throughout the 48 states of the U.S. including Canada and Mexico. They are usually on the road from 1 to 4 weeks at a time. OTR drivers are the ones who get to travel all over America and make good money doing it. On an average an OTR driver can expect to drive around 2500 miles in one week.
Regional
These drivers operate within a limited geographical area only. Their routes typically will not take them to any more than 8 states within their region of operation or maybe just within one state. Their lifestyle is similar to that of an OTR drivers except they usually get home within days or every weekend.
Local
Local drivers operate trucks within a 100-mile radius of their hometown. They drive daycab tractors, which don't have a sleeper in the back. Local drivers are home every night and usually get paid by the hour. Like LTL driver's local drivers can have multiple stops in a day.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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