The majority of truck driver jobs are found in big cities connected by major interstate highways where transportation companies or wholesale dealers have their distribution depots.
Truck driver jobs are also found in smaller towns. In these areas truck drivers are recruited for specific services, such as transporting newspapers, livestock, or goods to a railroad network.
A Truck Driver Needs a Commercial Driver’s License
According to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986, any driver of a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,000 or more pounds must possess a commercial driver’s license (CDL) from the state he or she lives in. In many states a regular driver’s license is sufficient for driving lighter motor vehicles.
Truck driver jobs associated with the transportation of hazardous materials, irrespective of truck size, require a CDL. Interstate, intrastate, and foreign commerce truck driver jobs require a CDL.
To qualify for a commercial driver’s license, you must pass a written test on the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations of the US Department of Transportation. You are also required to demonstrate your driving skills successfully.
Qualifications for Truck Driver Jobs
1. Physical Requirements
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, to qualify for truck driver jobs, certain physical requirements are needed:
- One should be 21 years or older to drive interstate. (Many states allow 18-year-olds to drive trucks within their borders.)
- 20/40 vision or better with glasses or corrective lenses is a must along with a 70-degree field of vision in each eye. Colorblind drivers cannot qualify.
- Drivers must be able to hear a forced whisper in one ear at not less than five feet, with a hearing aid if needed.
- Normal use of arms and legs and normal blood pressure are essential.
- Epileptic or diabetic patients controlled by insulin are not allowed to be interstate truck drivers.
2. Previous Conviction Requirements
Truck drivers must not have been convicted of a felony involving the use of a motor vehicle or a crime involving drugs, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, refusing to submit to an alcohol test, leaving the scene of a crime, or causing a fatality through negligent driving of a motor vehicle.
Truck driver jobs involving hazardous materials require drivers to be fingerprinted and to submit to a criminal background check by the Transportation Security Administration.
3. English Language Requirements
Truck driver jobs require the English language skills necessary to read road signs, prepare reports, and communicate with law enforcement officers and the public.
Conclusion
Many truck driver jobs require higher standards of qualifications depending on company requirements. A number of businesses need their drivers to be at least 22 years old. Drivers need to be able to lift heavy objects, and many truck driver jobs require candidates to have at least three to five years of experience driving trucks.
