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What are the Different Types of Trucking Jobs?

Felicia Dye
Felicia Dye

Truck drivers play an important role in many economies. These individuals facilitate the efficient movement of goods that could otherwise be difficult to transport. Since there are such a wide variety of goods that need to be moved across land, there is a wide range of trucking jobs. These include parcel carriers, food suppliers, and fuel haulers.

Parcels that are sent from person to person or from businesses to consumers usually travel in trucks at some point. Parcel shipping is one of the trucking jobs that can afford truck drivers the opportunity to become federal employees. Although a great number of parcels are shipped through private companies, a large portion is also shipped by way of federal-owned postal services.

Truck drivers who transport fuel must be trained in the proper shipping of flammable liquids.
Truck drivers who transport fuel must be trained in the proper shipping of flammable liquids.

Truck drivers are generally indispensable in the production, movement, and distribution of food. There are a wide range of food-related trucking jobs. A person could begin analyzing them with the production stage. Agricultural items that are needed to produce food, such as seeds, animal feed, and pesticides, are often transported in trucks. Once food is grown, plants and animals are generally moved by trucks to the factories where these items are processed and packaged.

Long-haul truck drivers often travel for several hours or days, covering great distances between pick-ups and deliveries.
Long-haul truck drivers often travel for several hours or days, covering great distances between pick-ups and deliveries.

Once food is ready for retail sale, truck drivers are generally needed to deliver it to the stores and restaurants where it will be sold. Food is sometimes distributed using tractor and trailers. There are also smaller specialized trucks that may deliver smaller quantities of food. These are often used for home deliveries.

Fuel is an important part of life. These substances are commonly transported in specially designed trucks. Trucking jobs that involve fuel handling often require additional training and special licensing. In the United States, for example, fuel is considered a hazardous material. Hauling it requires a special endorsement in addition to the required commercial driver’s license.

Truck drivers are indispensable in the production, movement and distribution of food.
Truck drivers are indispensable in the production, movement and distribution of food.

Items such as gravel and sand are often transported in dump trucks. A dump truck is a specialized vehicle that allows items to be easily emptied without manual labor. These trucking jobs often afford individuals the opportunity to work locally and go home daily.

The construction industry also initiates trucking jobs. Cement truck drivers are an example of construction-related transportation positions. Cement trucks are also specially designed for the purpose for which they are used. Drivers of these trucks may be required to get acquainted with controls that are not found in other types of trucks.

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    • Truck drivers who transport fuel must be trained in the proper shipping of flammable liquids.
      By: majeczka
      Truck drivers who transport fuel must be trained in the proper shipping of flammable liquids.
    • Long-haul truck drivers often travel for several hours or days, covering great distances between pick-ups and deliveries.
      By: torugo
      Long-haul truck drivers often travel for several hours or days, covering great distances between pick-ups and deliveries.
    • Truck drivers are indispensable in the production, movement and distribution of food.
      By: Arsel
      Truck drivers are indispensable in the production, movement and distribution of food.
    • Items such as gravel and sand are often transported in dump trucks.
      By: andrea photo
      Items such as gravel and sand are often transported in dump trucks.