| Trucks and truck drivers are a constant | | | | food, loading and unloading. The drivers |
| presence on US highways and interstates. A | | | | switch off driving and sleeping in the |
| person on even the shortest drive is likely | | | | truck.Truck driving can be a demanding job. |
| to pass by a truck or two transporting goods, | | | | Some self-employed long-distance truck |
| and even merchandise that travels by ship, | | | | drivers who own and operate their own trucks |
| train, or airplane travels on a truck for | | | | spend most of the year away from home. The |
| some phase of the journey to the customer. | | | | government restricts long distance drivers to |
| Because trucks are such a major part of | | | | no more than 60 hours a week as well as |
| industry, truck driving jobs are important | | | | requiring 10 hours rest for every 11 hours |
| positions and good paying jobs.Truck drivers | | | | driving. Many drivers work very close to this |
| have many responsibilities. Before leaving | | | | max time permitted because they are |
| the terminal or warehouse, truck drivers make | | | | compensated according to the number of miles |
| routine checks of their vehicles, checking | | | | or hours they've put in. The difficulty of |
| fuel and oil levels. They inspect the tires, | | | | truck driving is well compensated, which |
| brakes, and windshield wipers, and make sure | | | | makes it a popular job. In 2002, there were |
| that all safety equipment is loaded and | | | | 3.2 million truck drivers.Many trucking |
| functional. They report any problems to the | | | | operations have higher standards than the |
| dispatcher, who keeps track of all of these | | | | Federal minimum requirements. Drivers are |
| small details. Once they start driving, truck | | | | often required to be at least 22 years old, |
| drivers must be constantly alert. They can | | | | able to lift heavy objects, and have 3-5 |
| see quite a long distance along the highway | | | | years driving experience. Companies want to |
| because they sit higher than most other | | | | hire good drivers who work efficiently and |
| vehicles. This puts them in a position of | | | | cost less to insure. They like drivers who |
| power on the road, as well as heightened | | | | have enrolled in driver-training courses. New |
| responsibility.Delivery requirements vary | | | | drivers might begin on small straight trucks |
| according to the type of merchandise, the | | | | and graduate to larger trucks and finally to |
| driving assignment, and the final | | | | tractor-trailers. A few truck drivers advance |
| destination. Local drivers provide daily | | | | high enough to become dispatchers, managers, |
| service along a specific route, while other | | | | or traffic workers.Heavy truck and |
| drivers must make intercity and interstate | | | | tractor-trailer drivers earned an average of |
| deliveries based on specific orders. The | | | | $16 per hour in 2002. The highest 10% of this |
| driver's responsibilities and salary change | | | | group earned more than $24 an hour. Driving a |
| based on the time spent on the road, the type | | | | truck is a great career with lots of room for |
| of product transported, and vehicle size.New | | | | promotion and advancement. After moving all |
| technologies are revolutionizing the way that | | | | the way up the chain of promotion within a |
| truck drivers work. Long distance truck | | | | company, truck drivers often strike out on |
| drivers now have satellites and global | | | | their own and open successful transport |
| positioning systems (GPS) to link them with | | | | businesses.Air Liquide is a major |
| company headquarters. Information, | | | | international company and is also a private |
| directions, and weather reports can be | | | | carrier. This means it maintains its own |
| delivered to the truck instantly no matter | | | | truck fleet and hires truck drivers. Because |
| where it is. Company headquarters can track | | | | Air Liquide is such successful company, |
| the truck's location, fuel consumption, and | | | | driving jobs with Air Liquide are stable, |
| engine performance. Inventory tracking | | | | well supported positions. Solo Air Liquide |
| equipment is now computerized, allowing the | | | | drivers can expect to be home 80-90% of the |
| producer, warehouse, and customer to all | | | | time and make between $50,000 and $70,000 a |
| check in on the products on the road. New | | | | year depending on the type of run and work |
| technology is making truck driving an easier | | | | performance. Air Liquide provides benefits |
| job, as seats become more comfortable, trucks | | | | like medical and life insurance, performance |
| have better ventilation, and cabs are better | | | | benefits, ample vacation time, flexible |
| designed.Some routes are very, very long, and | | | | spending accounts, and quarterly profit |
| these usually employ heavy truck or | | | | sharing. As Air Liquide grows and succeeds, |
| tractor-trailer drivers. On the longest | | | | so do each of its employees! If you are |
| routes, companies will hire two drivers for | | | | interested in a truck driving job, you should |
| sleeper runs. Sleeper runs can last from days | | | | apply here to drive for Air Liquide. Find out |
| to weeks and the truck only stops for fuel, | | | | more about Air Liquide! |