4 important skills every truck driver needs

Did you hear?

We’re currently hiring for a variety of truck driving positions, including:

• General freight driving jobs
• Tanker driving jobs
• Reefer unit driving jobs
• Liftgate trailer jobs
• Hopper bottom driving jobs
• Flatbed truck driving jobs

To access a list of requirements and job responsibilities, visit our website by clicking here.

Before you fill out and submit an application, t’s important to consider if you have what it takes. Over the years, we’ve worked with hundreds of professional truck drivers and all of them possess four specific characteristics.

1.) A commitment to safety. Driving a semi-truck is a dangerous job. It involves transporting thousands or even hundreds of thousands of pounds of cargo on top of a moving trailer while navigating a variety of terrains like mountains, deserts and plains. If you had the road all to yourself, it would probably be a little easier, but you don’t. It’s your responsibility to keep the drivers in front of, behind and on either side of you safe. That means attention to detail, adherence to all posted speed limits and taking the time to inspect your load at every stop.

2.) The ability to read and interpret maps. Often, our drivers are tasked with transporting asphalt, emulsions and other materials to remote construction sites or delivery centers. To get to these hard-to-reach locations, you need to know how to read and interpret maps. Smartphone apps like Google maps can certainly help, but service tends to be spotty in far-out destinations. If you need a refresher, this guide from ThoughtCo is a great place to start.

3.) A willingness to work at all hours of the day and night. Like the great city of New York, truck drivers rarely sleep. Well, that’s not entirely true. You’ll get to sleep…but you might not do it at the same time as everyone else. Super loads that are incredibly heavy often require nighttime transportation to avoid traffic and other potential obstacles. That means you could spend a few shifts each week driving after sunset or just before sunrise.

4.) A good attitude. Sitting behind the wheel of a big rig for six or more hours each day requires patience and a good attitude. Breakdowns occur, traffic jams happen, and precious cargo may spoil or break. Of course, we take steps to prevent these and other issues, but there are always hiccups along the way. A sense of humor and a willingness to roll with the punches are tools to include in your professional arsenal.

Do you possess these four skills? If so, we want to hear from you. Visit our website and apply today.