Truck Driver Job Description

A professional Truck Driver usually drives a truck that has a capacity of 3 tons or more to enable them to transport and deliver materials, or damaged vehicles.

Primary Objectives:

• The Professional Truck Driver has to have a special license (CDL) in order to haul larger loads.
• Most Professional Truck Drivers go to truck driving school to learn how to handle their vehicle when they are hauling a large or heavy load.
• The Professional Truck Drivers maintains truck log according to the state and federal regulations required.

The Professional Truck Driver is one who knows best how to handle his load, keep his log, and pass inspections from the different places set up along the route. The Professional Truck Driver keeps record of materials and products that is transported in his vehicle. The Professional Truck Driver is required to position blocks and tie ropes around items to secure cargo for transport. The Professional Truck Driver knows that he will be hauling a variety of materials and accordingly he will need to be able to secure it so that it will not break lose in route. Carelessness is not acceptable as this can cause a major accident killing not only the Professional Truck Driver but possible others who are driving on the highway. Often Professional Truck Drivers who are planning on driving a long distance have a backup driver who accompanies them on their trip. The backup driver is of course a fully licensed Professional Truck Driver who can drive part of the route while they are accompanying the main Professional Truck Driver.

Many trucks are equipped with a bed behind the driver’s seat which gives the relief driver and the truck driver the ability to take a nap while they are driving towards their route. Depending on the time they have to deliver the materials, some Professional Truck Drivers do not use a relief driver but do all the driving stopping at Truck Stops taking naps. In this way they do not have to split their earnings. The law does require that they get so much sleep allowing them to drive only so many hours during the day. This is for the safety of the Professional Truck Drivers and for others who are using the major highways. The Professional Truck Driver cleans, inspects and services the vehicle that he uses on his long trips. The Professional Truck Driver may own his own truck or work for a trucking company that provides the vehicle. In either case the Professional Truck Driver knows that this is the vehicle that they will be using and that is why they want to make sure that it is kept in tip top shape. Many of the things needed to overhaul a truck can be done by the Professional Truck Driver because they are taught in truck driving school how to handle all these things. When the truck shows signs of something serious wrong the Professional Truck Driver will take the truck to a trucking garage for a professional mechanic to check out and fix.

The Professional Truck Driver knows how to operate equipment on vehicle to load, unload, or disperse cargo or materials under his care. He also will help with the loading and unloading of his truck when it needs to be done manually. The Professional Truck Driver is often bonded as they need to collect payment for goods that are delivered. The Professional Truck Driver must also get the customer to sign the bill of laden when the materials are delivered. If anything is damaged or short then the Professional Truck Driver must note this on the bill of laden. In this way the customer can get reimbursed for their loss or damage. The Professional Truck Driver must be trusted above doubt since they often take on materials that are worth lots of money.

The Professional Truck Driver must have the following capabilities:

• The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift pushes, pull or carry objects.

• The ability to know your location in relation the environment.

• The ability to quickly respond with hand, finger or foot to a signal.

• The ability to see far distances and recognizes details.

• The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals such as lights, sounds, pictures etc.

• The ability to bend stretches, twist or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

The Professional Truck Driver must have the capability of listening to and understanding information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. The Professional Truck Driver must be able to detect the differences in sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.

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