Like Your Goods? Thank a Trucker

Most people don’t think about how department and grocery stores keep their shelves stocked with the necessities of everyday life. But if it wasn’t for men and women working in the trucking industry and spending long hours on the road transporting food, clothes, and other merchandise important to sustaining the normal operation of people’s existence, we wouldn’t have these things so readily available. Truckers and their freight carriers have been hard at work providing people with items we take for granted since the early 1900′s and without them, we would probably be paying more for these items on which we have come to depend.

Truck Driving Terms

The truck driving industry is more than just driving a “big rig” across country. There are many different freight carriers and goods which they transport that are referred to by different types of terms, such as:

• dry van–freights that contain non-perishable goods and are transported over highways

• reefer drivers–these drivers haul frozen goods in refrigerated trucks

• bullrack drivers–livestock is carried either locally or regionally in a double-deck trailer

• dry bulk pneumatic–transportation of bulk cement, sand or salt in specialized freights which permit utilization of pressurized air to aid in unloading the product

• tanker drivers–also known as “tanker yankers”, these drivers carry diesel fuel, gasoline, crude oil and other liquids. Tanker drivers possess unique driving skills because liquid tends to move unpredictably and may cause imbalances in the freight weight.

Not an Easy Job

Besides sitting a truck cab for long hours at a time driving endless miles of highways, being away from home all week and eating at fast food places, a truck driver’s weekly paycheck is based on how many miles they drive rather than a regular salary. This means that when a trucker is waiting for his freight carrier to be loaded or unloaded, which sometimes takes several hours, they are not being paid. Typically, a driver earns approximately 19 cents to 45 cents a mile but this depends on the company they work for and what they are transporting. While most truck drivers make well over $400 a week, this does not account for personal expenditures while on the road, as well as time spent away from family.

So the next time you go shopping for food or some new clothes, remember to thank a trucker and all the hard work they put into getting those good to you and your family.