This project is for anyone involved in the trucking industry in Canada, the United States or Mexico.

For anyone who drove trucks, please consider adding them to the Geni project: Truck Driver

The trucking industry serves the American economy by transporting large quantities of raw materials, works in process, and finished goods over land—typically from manufacturing plants to retail distribution centers. Trucks are also used in the construction industry, two of which require dump trucks and portable concrete mixers to move the large amounts of rocks, dirt, concrete, and other building materials used in construction. Trucks in America are responsible for the majority of freight movement over land and are tools in the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries.

Driving large trucks and buses require a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate. Obtaining a CDL requires extra education and training dealing with the special knowledge requirements and handling characteristics of such a large vehicle. Drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) must adhere to the hours of service, which are regulations governing the driving hours of commercial drivers. These and all other rules regarding the safety of interstate commercial driving are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA is a division of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), which governs all transportation-related industries such as trucking, shipping, railroads, and airlines. Some other issues are handled by another branch of the USDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The trucking industry in the United States has affected the political and economic history of the United States in the 20th century. Before the invention of automobiles, most freight was moved by train or horse-drawn vehicle.

During World War I, the military was the first to use trucks extensively. With the increased construction of paved roads, trucking began to achieve significant foothold in the 1930s, and soon became subject to various government regulations (such as the hours of service). During the late 1950s and 1960s, trucking was accelerated by the construction of the Interstate Highway System, an extensive network of freeways linking major cities across the continent.

Trucking achieved national attention during the 1960s and 70s, when songs and movies about truck driving were major hits. Truck drivers participated in widespread strikes against the rising cost of fuel, during the energy crises of 1973 and 1979, and the industry was drastically deregulated by the Motor Carrier Act of 1980. Trucking has come to dominate the freight industry in the latter portion of the 20th Century, along with what are termed "big-box stores" such as Wal-Mart and Target.

Developments in technology, such as computers, satellite communication, and the Internet, have contributed to many improvements within the industry. These developments have increased the productivity of company operations, saved the time and effort of drivers, and provided new, more accessible forms of entertainment to men and women who often spend long periods of time away from home. In 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency implemented revised emission standards for diesel trucks (reducing airborne pollutants emitted by diesel engines) which promises to improve air quality and public health.

Types of Trucking Positions

Drayage

Truckers frequently carry loads from the docks to distribution centers in the US. They also pick up loads at railroad terminals and carry them directly to customers. People who need to move freight from one place to another are always looking for the fastest delivery times and least expense, so the way freight moves in the US changes over time depending on how expensive it is to ship by rail or road.

Regional

No doubt, regional driving jobs are widely available in the trucking industry. As customers continue to focus on cost efficiency, many organizations prefer to have different suppliers move freight to regional distribution centers, where truckloads are then sent directly to stores.

Long-Haul

Many drivers got into the business because of the lure of long-haul driving. Sometimes called over-the-road jobs (OTR), long-haul driving can take you to every corner of the US and Canada.

P&D

Pickup and Delivery, or pickup and delivery drivers carry freight from one customer to another.

Owner-Operator

Instead of driving a truck the company owns, owner-operators own or lease their equipment and hire their services out to freight companies.

Non-Driving Positions

• Administrator & Assistant
• Commercial Equipment & Salesperson
• Diesel & Truck Technicians
• Dispatcher
• Driver Recruiter
• Fleet Manager
• Load Planner
• Mechanic
• Personnel Supervisor
• Safety & Compliance Administrators
• Software Application Developer
• Terminal Manager
• Warehouse Specialist

The top 10 Trucking Companies in the United States are:

1. Fedex Freight
2. Old Dominion Freight Line
3. XPO Logistics
4. YRC Freight
5. Swift Transportation
6. Estes Express Lines
7. UPS Freight
8. Schneider National
9. J.B. Hunt Transport Services
10. Landstar System

Wikipedia