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What They Do
About This Career
Drives a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.
This career is part of the Energy cluster.
A person in this career:
- Checks all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Inspects loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
- Checks vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
- Obtains receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collects payment for services when required.
- Cranks trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
- Maintains logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
- Reads bills of lading to determine assignment details.
- Reports vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.
- Performs basic vehicle maintenance tasks, such as adding oil, fuel, or radiator fluid, performing minor repairs, or washing trucks.
- Couples or uncouples trailers by changing trailer jack positions, connecting or disconnecting air or electrical lines, or manipulating fifth-wheel locks.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
- Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
- Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
- Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
- Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
- Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
- Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
- Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
- Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
- Seeing clearly at a distance
- Seeing objects clearly in glaring conditions or bright lighting
- Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
- Seeing clearly up close
- Seeing clearly in low light conditions
- Seeing objects or movement to one's side when looking forward
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
Work Hours and Travel
- Irregular hours
- Overnight travel
- Overtime work
- Weekend work
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- CDL Driver (Commercial Driver's License Driver)
- Driver
- Line Haul Driver
- Log Truck Driver — Drives truck, equipped with long-tongued trailer, to haul logs from forest to mill or storage yard.
- Over the Road Driver (OTR Driver)
- Production Truck Driver
- Road Driver
- Semi Truck Driver
- Tractor Trailer Driver
- Truck Driver
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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