Reasons Why You Should Consider a Career in Truck Driving

Ever wonder how most items you buy arrive at the stores and warehouses? If your answer was trucks, you guessed correctly. Trucks drive everywhere: the city, rural communities, the open highway and urban streets. Whenever a truck has to go, there's a need for a person to drive it to its rightful spot. Currently, the trucking industry employs more than 3 million drivers and numerous support personnel like truck loaders, schedulers, and dispatchers. Even with a down economy, the number of trucking companies looking to hire drivers is expected to rise in the coming years.

If you've ever thought of attending truck driving school, there are a lot of encouraging signs that make it worth your while. Compared to other training schools and universities, trucking school graduates earn one of the highest average salaries right after school. In fact, the average salary for a CDL trained and certified driver averages about $42,000 annually. That number can surpass $50,000 within a couple years. Unlike a number of industries, you can expect your career in truck driving to be a steady one. With more than 1.4 trucking companies across the nation, the need for trucker is always present. This is the case any time of year. Furthermore, the market suffers from a shortage of truck drivers that is expected to remain at least through 2018. As an added plus, going to truck driving school can open additional possibilities for you down the road. Truck driver training can also prepare you for future employment possibilities like training, recruiting or managerial positions.

Aside from high pay and stability, trucking schools offer a quick and direct path to gainful employment. Schools will vary, but an intensive truck driver training program can have you career ready in as little as 30 days. Though it will require a financial investment, trucking school-because the training is shorter-also tends to cost markedly less than other education and training facilities. Any decent driving truck school will offer job placement assistance. A good truck driving school can get you pre-hired with a hauling company before completing training and earning your CDL license.

Do your research before choosing a truck driving school. Get a look at their resources. Try and meet the instructors who will teach the driving truck school. See what kind of resources they have and what connections they have in the truck driving school. If you can, really to land a place at a truck school that offers pre-hiring job placement.

Learn more about truck school and see about driving truck schools near you.

The Different Factors One Should Consider While Buying Trucks

If you are looking to buy a new truck you will be considering the many aspects to be considered. If you analyze all these aspects beforehand you will surely get an excellent truck fulfilling all your requirements. You will find various types of trucks for sale. You have to be very careful about in your choice. The different aspects you should consider before buying trucks are -

Size or Market Segment

Mostly the trucks come under either the full-size or compact category. Compact one could be considered a relative term in the present time. Most of the full-size trucks can be obtained in the heavy-duty guise.

Cab Designs

Each manufacturer generally has its snazzy name for their trucks. But, the body styles basically for trucks are regular cab, crew cab and extended cab. The regular cabs possess two doors and seat between 2 and 3 adults. The extended cabs are compact and provide mostly additional storage space. Full-size versions have the capacity to seat 3 extra passengers. Rear clamshell doors provide easiness for getting cargo and people in and out at back of the extended cabs. But a few have smaller, front-hinged doors. The crew cabs possess 4 full sized doors as well as comfortable seats for between 5 and 6 passengers.

Engine and Fuel Economy

The compact trucks come in 4-, 5-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines and offer a variety for different buyers. Several full-sized trucks come in 6-cylinder engines on the base models. But mostly trucks make use of V8 or V10 engines which return marginal fuel-economy figures at best. The heavy-duty full-sized trucks have diesel engines which give lots of towing power as well as better mileage.

Safety

Mostly trucks give basic safety equipment such as seatbelts and front airbags for all passengers. Stability control and side curtain airbags are commonplace now on the full sized models. Few compact models have poor performance in the crash tests. People should be careful of the rear jump seats which aren't made to offer protection to anybody in case of a crash.

Drivetrain

Mostly all the trucks give both automatic and manual transmissions, plus two- and four-wheel drive. Several vehicles also give traction-aiding devices such as locking differentials, limited-slip or electronic traction control.

Versatility of Interior Seats

Mostly trucks could be equipped with bucket seats or 3-person front bench. The crew or extended cabs give the option to fold the complete rear seat up, or one half at least. Some latest full-sized trucks permit you folding the front-passenger seat flat and this gives a table like, handy surface.

Towing Ability

The compact trucks have the ability of towing from 3,000 to 7,000 pounds. It depends on the way they are equipped. The regular full-sized trucks have the ability of towing 12,000 pounds with particular suspension and engine configurations, though most range from 8,000 to 10,000 pound capacities. The heavy-duty full-sizers have the capability of hauling 24,000 pounds if they are equipped with fifth-wheel connection. One should properly analyze the axle ratios, which really matter in fuel economy and towing capacity.

The truck sales figures depend on these aspects. One should make a choice that completely suites his liking and requirement.

The article focuses on the different aspects which people should consider while sell my truck. The factors such as engine and fuel economy, safety, drivetrain, towing ability etc. are discussed in detail.

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CDL Driver Trainers Should be Held Liable for Actions

Abusive Truck Driver Trainers

The trucking industry continues to turn a blind eye on the abusive behavior of those truck driver trainers against trainees.  Trying their best to keep it secretive and to prevent these stories of abuse from making news, it is left to the trucking social media to continue emphasizing that these crimes against CDL truck driver trainees continue to occur.  Unfortunately, there are many more such incidents that take place that are never reported.  The most recent being the case involving the C. R. England driver trainer who threw out his female trainee, leaving her abandoned in New York.

These so-called “trainers” have received no formal education in actual “training.”  Although many are veteran drivers, they have only been given the title of trainer by their company.  Furthermore, once again, we witness the foul practice of placing women in a truck with a male trainer, both being complete strangers to one another with total  disregard to any background check.  This problem is bigger than anyone in a high position of the industry is willing to admit.  Most trainees will never utter a single word about their abuse, simply finding a way home and never look at trucking as a career again.

In the case of this criminal trainer for C. R. England, the spotlight is once again on these type of companies who continue to allow such behavior to take place.   For this driver to throw out a trainee from the truck would be assault.  To drive away with her belongings still in the truck would be theft.  The employer is responsible, in part, for the safety of their employees.  Placing her in a truck for 24/7 with a complete stranger and one who is obviously a nut-case, should justify endangerment.

Furthermore, this latest victim states that she called her dispatcher and informed her of the situation and danger and asked for help, yet the dispatcher allegedly told her that she needed to “suck it up.”  At this point, a company representative was made aware of the problem, therefore, the dispatcher should also be held accountable for endangerment.  Whatever the accountability is, an attorney would have to decide but it is ignorant dispatchers such as this who add to the problem of trainee abuse.

These worthless truck driver trainers need to be held liable for their criminal behavior and should face jail time. Should these allegations be proven to be true, then  C. R. England should be held accountable as well.  C. R. England advertises that you can become a trainer with as little as six months driving experience, yet the FMCSA and the industry itself sees no reason for safety concern.

When the abuse of driver trainees, especially female trainees was finally brought to the attention of the media by Trucker Desiree, it was met with sarcasm and verbal attacks.  This latest act of abuse to female truck driver trainees by a male trainer is one more example of the reality for many women wanting to become truck drivers.  This story almost became another obsolete one because she was not going to report or say anything about it because like many before her, her first thoughts were, “Nobody will believe me.”

Trucker Desiree interviewed this latest victim of CDL truck driver trainer abuse.  We will continue to hold these companies and trainers liable for their actions, since the trucking industry itself refuses to do so.  Their only concern is to smear and discredit the victim.

© 2010, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

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Should Trucks from Mexico be allowed in the United States?

The issue of trucks from Mexico being allowed to enter the United States is one that comes with plenty of controversy attached to it. The volumes of letters that various political offices have received from truck drivers and business owners in the trucking company indicate that this is not a welcomed change in the field of the trucking industry. Many are afraid it will compromise the contracts they have in place as the workers from Mexico will be willing to haul the loads for a lower price.

Even with such resistance, a pilot program was allowed to move forward in September of 2007. This allowed an initial 859 carriers from Mexico to begin entering the United States for work. This project is being monitored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It is not known if the program will be able to continue as there is already a motion on the floor of the United States legislation to bring it to a halt.

The biggest complaints from regular citizens seem to be with the concern that they don’t believe trucks coming from Mexico will be safe. Under the initial pilot program agreements, all of the drivers must be able to read and write English at an acceptable level. This way they can safely navigate with the road signs, talk to law enforcement, and complete necessary paperwork.

There are no restrictions on the products that the trucks from Mexico can bring into the United States or take back to Mexico. Many are concerned that this allows them to haul hazardous materials. They also worry about the possibility of more semi trucks being used for drug trafficking purposes under such an agreement. Many people believe it is not safe to have individuals from other countries coming into the United States with the ability to haul dangerous materials. With the risk of terrorist attacks being possible with the use of such products on semi trucks it is definitely something to think about.

Yet there are some positive attributes to the thought of allowing trucks from Mexico into the United States. There is a shortage of qualified truck drivers to keep up with the demand for the amount of freight to be hauled. With the new hours of service laws, it is taking even longer for the work to be completed. With the additional trucks it is hopeful that it will help the overall industry.

Under the outlined plans only a specific number of trucks would be allowed to enter the United States from Mexico. It wouldn’t be an open door policy as many in the trucking industry have been lead to believe. The qualifications of the drivers will be carefully reviewed and the trucks will have to meet inspection requirements for the United States before they can enter.

In addition, the trucks are to be inspected by their independent carriers every 90 days. This is to be in effect for the first three years of the program. At the border there will be scales and inspectors as well. They will work for the United States and they will have the authority to deny any truck coming from Mexico access into the United States.

They also have the authority to inspect the qualifications of the driver of the vehicle. There will be an electronic monitoring system in place to check licensing requirements. This process is expected to introduce 200 new jobs by the end of 2007. It is believed it will be virtually impossible to fake the credentials to drive a semi truck into the United States with the electronic process in place.

It is also believed that this agreement with Mexico could result in trucks from the United States being able to freely travel into Mexico. This could generate millions of dollars in revenue due to the fact that it would allow the border to become an area of free trade. This is likely to be a controversial issue that continues in the political arena for quite some time.

Should you Purchase an Extended Warranty on a Semi Truck?

Buying a semi truck is quite an investment with the total cost often being more than many people pay for their first home. Yet this equipment can be used to generate a nice income if you look for work in various aspects of the trucking industry.

One of the biggest overhead expenses for a semi truck owner is the cost of repairs. In addition to the cost of parts and labor, there is the down time for their truck to sit while it is getting repaired. That means no income is being generated during that period of time.

Many dealerships offer a warranty period for a semi truck when you make a purchase. This generally expires after a set period of time such as one year from the date of purchase or after you have put a set amount of miles on the equipment. A good quality semi truck can go hundreds of thousands of miles without experiencing any trouble. Of course this means you have to take good care of it and get it serviced regularly.

You may have the option of buying an extended warranty for your truck either at the time of purchase or when the warranty you already have in place is about to expire. Many owners aren’t sure if this is a good investment or a waste of their money. If you plan to keep the semi truck for several years, you may want to go ahead and invest in that warranty. The more miles you put on the vehicle, the more likely that something major will go wrong.

Owner operators who don’t have a substantial amount of money set aside for repairs definitely need to buy the extended warranty. It can cost thousands of dollars to repair the engine or transmission on a semi truck. This can lead to the owner operator losing their business or suffering a significant economic hardship if they have to come up with the funds on their own.

Some truck drivers make it a practice of getting a new truck every four or five years. This is to offer them the luxuries they enjoy, keep their truck under a warranty, and help them with their taxes because they get to depreciate the value of the truck over a set period of time.

The cost of an extended warranty for a semi truck depends on many factors. The dealership will be able to explain the various options to you regarding the coverage. The more coverage you want the more expensive the extended warranty is going to be. Yet you will find the cost of such an extended warranty is going to be much less than paying for the necessary repairs out of your pocket.

In most instances you can use the cost of the extended warranty as a deduction on your income taxes. This type of warranty may not be extended in all cases so make sure you inquire about it if it is important to you. There are also independent insurance agencies where you can get one on your own. Make sure you carefully compare prices and coverage so you know exactly what you are buying.

You also want to make sure the extended warranty is offered by a legitimate company. Take the time to see if they have any complaints filed against them with the Better Business Bureau. You don’t want to need to access your extended warranty and find out it is a scam and you don’t have any such coverage.

Hopefully you will never need to access your extended warranty but it is a very good safety net to have in place in order to offer you financial security. The trucking industry is a great way to make a living but the wear and tear on the equipment can really affect your bottom line. Protecting yourself against unnecessary and unexpected expenses is an important part of being a successful business owner.

Should you invest in a New Semi Truck or a Used One?

You will find there are plenty of choices out there when it comes to buying a semi truck. You can have your pick of color, make, and model as well as various accessories. One of the biggest decisions you will have to make though is should you invest in a new one or a used one? This is often a personal decision that is influenced by many factors.

If you are limited in funds to make the purchase and need low monthly payments then you will likely need to opt for a used semi truck. You don’t want to get yourself into a situation where you can’t make the monthly payment and the equipment gets repossessed. If you aren’t sure about the work you will have lined up then you definitely don’t want to invest in a new truck immediately. After you have work that will be ongoing you can always upgrade.

The warranty offered on a new truck is often a good sales position because the cost of repairs on semi trucks are so expensive. Many truck drivers feel more confident with a truck that comes with a long term warranty. This is especially true is the equipment will be used for over the road trucking as a large number of miles will be accumulated in a short span of time.

If the semi truck will only be used locally or seasonally, then investing in a used one may be more cost effective. Keep in mind that most used semi trucks only offer a very short term warranty or no warranty at all. Still, there are so many used semi trucks at the dealerships that you can generally get them for a very low price.

For many truck drivers, the fact that they spend the majority of their time in their truck means they want something new. They want comfort and style so they look for a semi truck that offers them all the accessories they will enjoy. They take great pride in the presentation of the inside and the outside of the semi truck, so only a new one will do. These types of truck drivers often upgrade their semi every two or three years so they are always behind the wheel of something beautiful and under warranty.

If you are considering investing in a used semi truck, have it independently inspected inside and out. This type of inspection is generally less than $100 and the information will be invaluable to you. The last thing you need is a used semi truck that will need one repair after another. You also have to consider the money lost as you can’t earn anything with it while the repairs are being done.

If you can get a great deal on a used semi truck, you will be able to save more money that can be used to pay for any repairs or towards a new truck down the road. For those new to the profession, you really need to start out with a used semi truck. This way you don’t get in over your head while you are trying to make a name for yourself in the trucking industry.

You can easily compare the prices and the options on new and used trucks at local dealerships and online. If you have a specific type of truck and various accessories you want it to have, you can narrow down the search. You can even search by price to find out what you are able to buy with the funds you have available. The decision to invest in a new or used semi truck is different for each person, but you need to take the time to weigh the pros and cons of each one before you make a final decision. You want the semi truck to meet your needs in the industry as well as offer you reliability and comfort.