TRUCK DRIVING FACT:
"Truck drivers and Owner Operators held about 3.3 million jobs in 2000. Most truck drivers and Owner Operators find employment in large metropolitan areas along major interstate roadways where major trucking, retail, and wholesale companies have distribution outlets. Some drivers work in rural areas, providing specialized services such as delivering newspapers to customers or coal to a railroad. Trucking companies employed about 28 percent of all truckdrivers in the United States. Almost 32 percent worked for companies engaged in wholesale or retail trade, such as auto parts stores, oil companies, lumber yards, restaurants, or distributors of food and grocery products. The remaining truckdrivers were distributed across many industries, including construction, manufacturing, and services.
Fewer than 1 out of 10 truck drivers and Owner Operators were self-employed. Of these, a significant number were owner-operators who either served a variety of businesses independently or leased their services and trucks to a trucking company.
State and Federal regulations govern the qualifications and standards for truck drivers and Owner Operators. All drivers must comply with Federal regulations and any State regulations that are stricter than Federal requirements. Truck drivers and Owner Operators must have a driver's license issued by the State in which they live, and most employers require a clean driving record. Drivers of trucks designed to carry at least 26,000 pounds—including most tractor-trailers, as well as bigger straight trucks—must obtain a commercial driver's license (CDL) from the State in which they live. All truck drivers and Owner Operators who operate trucks transporting hazardous materials must obtain a CDL, regardless of truck size. Federal regulations governing the CDL exempt certain groups, including farmers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, some military drivers, and snow and ice removers. In many States, a regular driver's license is sufficient for driving light trucks and vans."
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