The fact is that dedicated truckers practically run this country.
Chances are something that you are using today was delivered by a truck (or, more likely, about a hundred things). The American economy depends on trucks to deliver almost 70% of all freight in the country; that’s more than $670 billion worth of manufactured and retail goods. Demand for drivers is always increasing, with the employment of heavy and tractor-trailer drivers projected to grow 5% from 2014 to 2024. Truck driver jobs present a unique lifestyle and experience, and there are many types of transportation sales jobs to choose from as well.
However, this form of transportation can be dangerous. Most people with truck driving jobs are expected to cover about 125,000 miles per year, breaking it down to about 500 miles a day. With that much ground to cover and time spent on the road, accidents are simply inevitable.
That’s exactly why truckers, bus drivers, and anyone who sits behind the wheel of large vehicles are heavily regulated. If you work in the transportation industry, then you already know that we’re facing a major shortage of truck drivers, in large part because of these onerous regulations.
Even so, the Department of Transportation has many standards in place to make operation safer and easier for everyone on the road, from other vehicles and passengers to the truck and bus drivers themselves. If you’re new to the world of transportation, then you’ll need to learn about one of the most important new rules in trucking: hours of service.
In short, the DOT’s hours of service regulations are designed to keep those working dedicated trucking jobs from spending too many hours on the road in a single day.
DOT Hours of Service Regulations for Drivers Carrying Goods:
- Can only drive for a total of 11 hours, and only after 10 consecutive off-duty hours.
- Cannot drive after more than 14 hours on-duty (including time spent in non-driving work).
- Must stop driving if more than eight hours have elapsed since last off-duty or sleeper berth break. Some exemptions exist for short-haul drivers.
- Drivers must adhere to the 60/70 rule, which stipulates that driving time is limited to 60 hours in the span of seven consecutive days, or 70 hours within eight consecutive days.
Anyone who wants to pursue a career in trucking must know these DOT regulations (and there are many more, covering a wide range of conduct) in order to perform a true dedicated trucking job.
If you are wondering how to become a truck driver, you can start by familiarizing yourself with these compliance regulations. Don’t wait to start your career, because there are dedicated trucking jobs to be had in every city in America.