In one of my favorite movie lines of all time was from the movie “Hitch”. The line was delivered by Will Smith who said “life is not about how many breaths you take, rather it is about relishing in the moments that take your breath away” . Not only was this a classic, it is a tremendous line to share with your children as it truly is what life is about, with one exception.

For years, I suffered with a horrible sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea. For most people, the term “sleep apnea” conjures images cartoons of an overweight man laying on the couch, snoring, and turning silent between every few snores as his diaphragm attempts to draw air into his lungs, but the anatomy of his throat prevents it. After several hard sucks he appears to awaken just a bit, yawns or swallows, adjusts his head, and falls back into his snoring pattern. Let me tell you from experience, nothing could be further from the truth.

An estimated 14 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea (at least 2-4% of the adult population), but it often gets dismissed as just heavy snoring. Instead, snoring could be a sign of OSA where episodes of struggling to breath can interrupt sleep over and over.

It is a fact that sleep apnea is more common in overweight men, however I am not in that category as I am physically fit and exercise frequently. Unfortunately, 90% of people that have sleep apnea don’t even know they suffer from this condition. Many of them think it’s due to chronic fatigue. Unfortunately, it’s usually the other way around. The sleep apnea is causing the chronic fatigue.

My wife was always bothered by my snoring ark’s wife, but she became more troubled when she noticed that throughout the night I would stop breathing periodically, seeming to wake up to restart my breathing and then fall back asleep again. I occasionally remembered waking up during the night, but for the most part, I did not remember the gaps in breathing.

I did, however, know that I was embarrassed about the fact that I was seriously disrupting my wife’s quality of sleep, I was always tired during the day and often had to take 20-30 minute naps at lunchtime to make it through the afternoon.

Fortunately, thanks to God for answering my prayers and bringing people into my life that understood my condition and helped me resolve this horrible condition that I have lived with my entire adult life. I hope that by sharing my story, it might encourage those who are suffering from the same condition that basically forced me to live life as a zombie until 6 months ago.

Here are eight warning signs that you might be suffering from sleep apnea symptoms and you should seriously consider asking your doctor to prescribe a sleep apnea treatment test

Frequent cessation of breathing (apnea) during sleep. Often times I would fall asleep on my back and hear myself “snort” for air. My wife often noticed repeated silences from your side of the bed.

Choking or gasping during sleep to get air into the lungs. The “gasping” to me was the snorting noise similar to the sound a pig makes. Yes, it was awful and embarrassing.

Loud snoring. Once upon a time in my earlier days of playing tournament softball, our team was playing in a weekend tournament. We all ended up crashing at one of our teammate’s home for the night. Eleven guys and their wives cramped into a family room floor. When we awakened in the morning, my wife and I were the only ones left in the room. My snoring had cleared people out of the house and into their cars.

Sudden awakenings to restart breathing. Often times this occurred during the night and would disrupt my wife continuously.

Waking up in a sweat during the night. It was not uncommon for me to wake up completely soaked with sweat due to sleep apnea.

Waking up at night and seeing your wife with a sledge hammer in her hands and fire in her eyes. This is a clear warning sing that you may not live to see the light of day if you don’t stop interrupting your wife’s beauty sleep and get some sleep apnea treatment.

Feeling unrefreshed in the morning after a night’s sleep. This is an understatement. Feeling refreshed was only a dream. I lived my life as a zombie. I couldn’t make it through a broadway play, a movie or one of my child’s dance recitals. We would try to sit in the back of these events so as not to embarrass my wife or my children, all because of a sleep disorder.

Headaches, sore throat, or dry mouth in the mornings after waking up. My throat would feel like the grand canyon in the morning as it was terribly dry and raspy.

Chronic fatigue and falling asleep at inappropriate times, such as during driving or at work. I would fall asleep in meetings; I had to take naps at lunch to make it through the day. While driving long distances, I often had to stop at rest areas and catch a 15 minute cat nap. My life was structured around getting in a cat nap two to three times a day. This is no way to live.

Find a local sleep apnea treatment support group.

If you suspect that your sleep disorder may be a result of sleep apnea symptoms and need to see a doctor about your symptoms, we suggest that you first check your insurance policy before making any appointments. Then you should seriously consider a sleep apnea evaluation.

Job seekers who are in the market for truck driving jobs often think that owner operators have the best jobs in the industry. If you have been thinking of leaving your current position and striking out on your own, you should know that it won’t be easy. However, there are many reasons to consider becoming an owner operator. Here are five of them.

There is gold in your list of contacts. If you have been working trucking jobs for a while, you already have contacts. While your employer’s clients are likely not going to want to switch, they may be able to put you in contact with other potential clients who are looking for the types of services you will be offering. This will make your job search time much shorter. Also, you have already developed contacts with other drivers who have the types of jobs you would want and can offer you advice. This will help you as you build your new business.

There is no replacement for your experience. Job seekers know that it is hard for inexperienced truckers to land truck driving jobs. It is almost impossible for these drivers to become successful owner operators. However, your time in the industry and the jobs you have already completed prove that you have enough experience to be successful.

You don’t need to pay the middleman any longer. The jobs that you land with a traditional job search almost always involve paying someone else. Sure, you get paid a decent wage per mile, but your trucking company also gets paid for every load you deliver. If you strike out on your own, you will stop paying the middleman for your truck driver jobs.

There is great flexibility in managing your own schedule. Many job seekers who are in the middle of a job search know that they would love to manage their own schedules. Working for a trucking company gives you little control over your schedule. If you become your own boss, you will have more say over when you are on the road working truck driver jobs and when you are home.

Industry associations are loaded with valuable resources. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is one example of the associations that are available to owner operators. These associations give you a great place to job search for new clients, connect with others who are working truck driving jobs independently, and simply learn from experienced owner operators. While you won’t find many job seekers at association meetings, you will find a wealth of information about finding and keeping truck driver jobs. As a new independent trucker, this type of information coming from experienced owner operators is going to be invaluable.

Truck driving jobs are plentiful and job seekers with strong resumes command top earnings at the best trucking companies. Career drivers reaching retirement age and a shortage of job seekers considering truck driver jobs has created a surplus of jobs in the marketplace. Here are five essential resume tips to help job seekers convert a job search into a convoy of prime truck driving jobs.

Make it easy for employers to reach you. Truck driver jobs demand easy contact. Be sure information is complete and listed clearly at the top of your resume. If you are not able to answer all calls, use a professional message verifying the caller has reached the job seeker and promising a reply. Return any missed calls in a timely fashion to demonstrate the response time trucking companies can expect if you accept one of their truck driving jobs.

State goals clearly and positively. This resume tip cannot be stressed enough. The purpose of stating career objectives is to filter your job search to truck driving jobs you would accept. Rather than state you will not handle freight, assert drop off trailers are appealing to you. If extended travel is not feasible, emphasize interest in dedicated routes.

List licenses and endorsements prominently.Trucking companies assume job seekers have an up to date CDL license. Boost your job search by listing training with recognized schools. Record additional training or endorsements such as double/triple triple trailers, passenger, hazardous materials, etc. More information on available endorsements can be found on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website.

Summarize experience by key skills. Grocery lists of experience are likely to be skimmed by prospective employers. Maximize impact by summarizing experience with qualities trucking companies require. Examples are: driven 320,000 miles without an accident or completed over 400 deliveries on or before the delivery deadline. A subtle resume tip is to demonstrate industry knowledge by using accepted jargon for trucks (reefer, tanker, etc.) and routes (regional, OTR, etc.).

Show comfort with technology. Dispatching and tracking is done electronically so truck driver jobs require comfort with technology. Note experience with satellite communications utilizing dot matrix display screen or Qualcomm. If you maintain mobile internet, say so. The same goes for GPS navigation. In the mind of employers, willingness to embrace future technology elevates a candidate from job seeker to potential career employee.

There has never been a larger variety of available truck driver jobs. Following these resume tips will highlight relevant skills and experience which means a quick conversion from job search to a place behind the wheel of a top truck driving job.

If you have a resume tip to share with your peers, feel free to leave it in the comments section and we will add it to the next post on this subject.

Better overall health and longevity has turned many senior citizens into job seekers. Additionally, sharp minds and strong health allow the senior citizen job search to extend beyond jobs traditionally relegated to senior citizens. A surprising number of job seekers, including those searching for jobs to share with a spouse, are answering the call of the open road and taking truck driver jobs. Many of the largest trucking companies including FedEx ground recruiters are targeting empty nested married couples as prime candidates to fill their staffing requirements. Here are five compelling reasons why senior job seekers should consider truck driving jobs.

Special training is not required. Anyone can obtain a commercial driver’s license by passing a written test and demonstrating driving proficiency. Although not required, drivers can benefit from completing a course through a reputable truck driving school. Courses lengths range from 3 weeks to 6 months.

Truckers travel and get paid to do it. 70% of U.S. goods are transported by truck which means big trucks are going anywhere and everywhere. Smart seniors with truck driver jobs are seeing the entire country while adding to their bottom line.

Truck driving jobs are plentiful and increasing. Ironically, retirement of career drivers is fueling the growth of truck driving jobs and opening a new industry segment to those pursuing post retirement careers. Because of extensive time away from home, there are fewer young people willing to consider truck driving jobs. Current statistics indicate 20,000 open truck driver jobs with an expectation of 110,000 unfilled truck driver jobs by the year 2014. Job security means a permanent solution for the senior citizen job search.

You can control your own schedule. For those willing to shoulder added maintenance and record keeping responsibility, purchasing a truck and becoming an owner/operator adds flexibility to truck driving jobs. There are endless opportunities for contract carriers. With a little work, drivers can control their own routes and schedules.

Seniors are more attractive to employers. Senior job seekers are attractive to transport companies because their schedules are more flexible and responsibility for other family members is generally reduced. These factors limit one of the largest recruiting challenges facing the industry, time away from home and family, and move seniors to the top of the hiring list.

Trucking should be a serious consideration in any senior citizen job search. The transport industry can benefit from the experience and leadership offered by seniors. Seniors can take advantage of their added years and health to build a second career in highly rewarding truck driving jobs and fill a growing need in the market.

As a modern day trucker, you already know that truck stops are more than just a place to stop, rest, and eat while you are working your trucking jobs. Today’s truckstops have many amenities that you can use to conduct business while working truck driving jobs. From communicating with trucking companies to doing a quick job search for your next load, here are some tips to using your time wisely while at truck stops.

First, consider truck stops as offices for truckers to use while on trucking jobs. Take the time to work on your paperwork, communicate with your trucking companies, and make any phone calls you need to while you are stopped. Be sure your log is complete and accurate. You can do many of these things while eating, and most of these facilities have dining facilities for truck drivers to use.

Next, be sure to multi-task. You know that your job as a trucker requires you to maintain your semi truck. If you need an oil change or wash, use the facilities at the stops you frequent to do these things. You can have the crew work on your vehicle while you eat, get caught up on paperwork, or do a job search.

Take advantage of the job search options that are available at most truckstops. Many truck stops post load boards you can check for trucking jobs that might come available when you are finished with your current job. Trucking companies may post ads for truck driving jobs at these facilities as well. Also, many truckers are now using the internet to search for new truck driving jobs, either with trucking companies or on their own. See if the truck stop you are visiting has internet kiosks you can use to take care of this business. As a professional trucker, you know that the more you can get done on one stop, the less stops you will have to make.

A truckstop is an excellent place to take care of personal business. Send an email, mail a card, or make a phone call. This will free you while you are on the road to focus on driving. Internet and mail capabilities are available at most of the places you will stop.

To further maximize your time at the truckstop, consider traveling with a laptop computer. This will allow you to connect to the station’s Wi-Fi connection from your cab. All you have to do is be parked in the driveway in order to use the internet. Again, you can do a job search or communicate with family and employers from your truck.

With these five tips, truck drivers can make the most of truck stops and the amenities they offer while on truck driving jobs. Remember, the more you can get done at your stop, the more time you will have on the road working trucking jobs. Truckstops are there to meet your needs as a truck driver, so use your time wisely and get back on the road as fast as you can!

We sincerely appreciate your feedback. If you have a truck stop story or a time management tip to share with your peers, feel free to leave comments on this post.

In one way, you’ve known Coca Cola all your life. Perhaps you even have wonderful childhood memories when you think of Coca-Cola®. Surely your dreams have grown, and so have the dreams of all those that make up the Coca Cola team. Before you apply for Coca Cola jobs, or any major corporation for that matter, do your homework. We strongly recommend that you educate yourself about Coca Cola job descriptions and how the company operates the company’s commitments around the world, it’s long term corporate strategy and most importantly, what personal traits do Coca Cola hiring personnel look for in new hires.

Coca-Cola® is often considered a beverage that is manufactured and distributed around the globe by a single company. Impossible. In reality, Coca Cola’s 450+ brands are created by individuals in Coca Cola Jobs that operate in more than 200 countries around the world. Made up of The Coca-Cola Company and more than 300 Coca-Cola bottlers, this system allows us to manufacture and distribute our products to customers and consumers around the world.

Career Opportunities. Coca Cola careers exist in many countries throughout the world. If you’re a recent college graduate looking to travel internationally Coca Cola jobs are available in Africa, Eurasia, European Union, Latin America, North America and the Pacific Rim. From early career seekers to senior level executives, we have a position that is sure to best suit your talents. Ideal skills sets that are best suited for Coca Cola Careers include aviation, business/administrative services, business management, finance, human resources, information technology, innovation, manufacturing, marketing, sales and account management and supply chain/technical functions.

What core competencies does Coca Cola expect from its employees? Jobs in Coca Cola Jobs come with high expectations from senior management. Coke’s executive team believes their success is a direct result of the passion for excellence of the people that work there. Every perspective Coca Cola employee is expected to exhibit six core competencies including:

What personal value traits does Coca Cola expect from their employees? When speaking of values, it’s fairly clear (or should be to you by now) the hiring executives are looking to fill Coca Cola Enterprises jobs with high quality individuals. They expect employees to be guides by the following values:

The time is now. If you feel you have what it takes to be considered for Coca Cola jobs, there is no better time to be at The Coca-Cola Company than right now.

If you are a current Coca Cola employee, or know someone who has a successful interview and hiring experience to share, we encourage you or your associate to leave comments to share at the bottom of this post.

We sincerely appreciate your feedback. To your health and professional success and may God bless you and your family!

Coca Cola employment information including job openings, online candidate registration, and resume submission is available on the Coca Cola employment web site.

You can search for Coca Cola jobs by job type, job function, location, keyword or Job ID number at the Coca Cola job listings page.

Lastly, you can register with Coca Cola, choose your employment preferences, then upload your resume/CV. Registered users will be able to save job searches and apply online for available positions at the Coca Cola candidate registration page.

Most owner operators will tell you that going out on your own and working independently from trucking companies is a scary thing to do. If you think you are ready to look for and manage your own truck driving jobs, here are some financial management tips you need to consider before entering the world of owner operators.

Arrange some legitimate side jobs without jeopardizing your current job. First, work truck driving jobs on the side for a while. Most owner operators do not jump into the field all at once. Keep your day job, and use off time to work independently. You need to build a client base before striking out on your own.

Key point: Hopefully, you have a good enough relationship with your existing trucking company that they will applaud you for your desire to become independent and support your decision.

As a fledging entrepreneur you must be realistic. Is there really a market for your skills in your area? You may find that trucking companies have a monopoly on truck driving jobs or the loads that are your specialty in your region. Make sure that you will be able to cover your expenses by tracking your expenses in great detail.

Key point: Learn everything you can about the business model before you go solo.

Learn what it will take to be profitable. You need to know what you need to make from your trucking jobs before striking out on your own. Sometimes a job might look like it pays well, but when you start calculating your monthly living expenses; you find that it is nowhere near enough. Knowing what you need is the key to sound financial management as an owner operator.

Key point: Know what it takes to be profitable. Most small businesses fail because they underestimate expenses and over estimate revenue.

For goodness sakes, know your credit score. You will need a loan to buy your truck before you can start working jobs. Most trucking companies will not allow you to work jobs on the side with their equipment. If they do, you will not have a truck when you finally quit. Knowing your credit score will help you know whether or not you will qualify for a loan to start your new business.

Key point: Don’t leverage your home to start a business. Save the start-up capital beforehand.

Track your expenses on a daily basis. Take time to calculate what it will cost to start running your own business. Counting the cost is the key to financial management. You will need to know the costs before applying for a loan.

Key point: Revenue must exceed expenses. For every $1.00 you invest, you should bring in $1.50 in return.

Oh how the tax man will cometh! Yes, owner operators have to pay taxes. As you are calculating your costs, be sure to calculate the cost of catches. Remember to save at least 20% of all of your earnings for tax time.

Key point: Find a good accountant BEFORE you think of going solo. They will advise you objectively.

Pay attention to and keep track of your paperwork. All trucking companies know that trucking jobs come with tons of paperwork. If you become an owner operator, your paperwork will effectively double. Not only will you need to keep logs, but you will also need to track receipts for your deductions, among other things. You must have a financial management system in place that accounts for paperwork.

Key point: Everyone hates paperwork, but you have to mange it so it doesn’t manage you.

Remember, you’re not a charity, so get customers to pay you on time. Remember, it’s not always easy to get your customers to pay after completing a job. Have a plan in place that you will follow if someone conveniently forgets to pay. Keep careful records to make sure that your invoices are paid in full.

Key point: Extending too much credit to customers will kill your dream!

If you’re not using a computer, forget everything you’ve just read, and don’t even think of going it alone. Software can make your paperwork much simpler. Invest in a laptop and some software that will help you keep track of invoices, bills, deductions, and the rest of your paperwork. This could be part of your start up expenses.

Key point: Sorry, but this is reality and it’s best not to sugar coat it

The three most important words in your vocabulary as an owner operator are Network, Network and Network. Owner operators have a tough job, and when you throw financial management into the mix, it gets even tougher. When you throw financial management into the picture, truck driving jobs become increasingly complicated. Take the time to take a coffee break with other independent drivers, and learn from them. Soon you will know what you need to start out on your own.

Key point: find yourself a quality mentor. You CAN reach your dreams.

If you are a professional truck driver who is a successful owner operator, we would encourage you to share a great money management tips with your peers, please leave a comment and we will pass it on to other owner operators.

For all of my adult life I have been suffering from what I thought would be diagnosed as insomnia. However, After I was tested I discovered that I suffered from a devastating sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. Last October, I asked my doctor to prescribe a sleep test for me to determine if I suffered from obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that prevents you from enjoying what most American love, a good night sleep.

What is the sleep disorder known as sleep apnea that many peple mistake for insomnia? The Greek word “apnea” literally means “without breath.” There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common. Regardless of the severity, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. If your spouse complains about your snoring and you wake up feeling like a zombie, you are a prime candidate for a sleep study. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Trust me when I tell you this. Arranging a sleep study was the best decision I ever made.

Not only was I diagnosed with sleep apnea, it was severe apnea. Fortunately, I was blessed with a great team of sleep technicians and a great sleep center. Two to three weeks after my sleep disorder was monitored overnight in a sleep lab, I went back for a second evening so they could monitor my sleep apnea using what’s called CPAP machine. within two weeks of my second sleep disorder testing, I had a CPAP machine delivered to my front door.

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What is the treatment for sleep apnea? The most common treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, therapy. A CPAP machine is usually about the size of a shoebox but CAN be smaller. A flexible tube connects the machine with a mask or other interface device that is worn over the nose and/or mouth. CPAP works by pushing air through the airway passage at a pressure high enough to prevent apneas and can be prescribed for both obstructive and central sleep apnea. The pressure is set according to the patient’s sleep apnea.

What happens if you ignore signs of sleep apnea and let it go untreated?
Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. Several treatment options exist, and research into additional options continues.

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Truck drivers who have severe sleep apnea or who get less than five hours of quality sleep each night while at home have a much higher percentage chance of suffering from continuous sleepiness and impaired performance while behind the wheel.

Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania, and six associates tested 247 commercial drivers at high risk for sleep apnea and 159 at lower risk for sleep impairment. They evaluated the role of short sleep duration at home over one week in 340 drivers, with 55 sleeping less than five hours. Of the 406 drivers examined for sleep apnea, 118 had mild to moderate forms of the disease, and 28 had severe sleep apnea.

Their findings revealed that across this great nation on God’s green earth, approximately 5,600 people are killed annually in crashes involving commercial trucks. Falling asleep while driving is an important factor in serious crashes involving commercial vehicles, prompting the question, why?” According to the report, the two culprits are chronically insufficient sleep and obstructive sleep apnea.

However, the investigators also found that 77 percent of those with mild sleep apnea and 56 percent of with moderate sleep apnea did not have what could be termed “pathologic sleepiness” as a result of their problem.

The authors used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to assess subjective sleepiness, the Multiple Sleep Latency Test to objectively determine the driver’s propensity to fall asleep, and the Psychomotor Vigilance Task to assess behavioral alertness and define vigilance lapses. These tests were administered in addition to a normal sleep test (polysomnography) to measure breathing pauses and movement disorders in the sleep laboratory.

In this study, the researches showed a combination of subjective and objective sleepiness, as well as performance impairments are common in their sample of commercial driver’s license holders, The analyses reveal that chronic short sleep duration is a risk factor for subjective sleepiness, objectively measured sleepiness and performance impairments. The results for sleep apnea are less clear.

The percentage of drivers with two or three performance impairments among those with less than 5 hours of sleep was 49.5 percent.

Of the 406 drivers tested, 93.3 percent were male and were over 45 years old. At the time of the study, 81.6 percent were employed as drivers of a commercial vehicle. All participants had a commercial driver’s license.

The researchers noted that these results should encourage the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reduce sleepiness and potential crash risk in commercial drivers. They suggest that the agency should develop plans to implement ways of identifying “sleep-impaired” drivers through objective testing, to identify and treat individuals with severe sleep apnea and to monitor their adherence to therapy, and to promote increased sleep duration among commercial drivers.

If you feel you might suffer from sleep apnea, contact your doctor and ask if you would qualify for a sleep study.

If you suffer from insomnia, sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder who would like to share their story, or if you have another area of interest you would like to research and respond ,feel free to leave comments for our readers.

The saying goes, American runs on trucks. If your job search includes truck driving jobs, it’s good to know that the demand for truck drivers is always constant. There are three primary types of truck driving jobs. The first of these trucking jobs is heavy duty semi trucks which may or may not include pulling tractor trailers filled with various raw materials and consumer products. Second is light or delivery services truck drivers who operate light or medium duty trucks and different types of standard and customized vans weighing less than 26,000 GVW (gross weight vehicle). Lastly, local truck driver jobs may include light duty vans or pick up trucks that are primarily focused on transporting goods and services in a local market either from warehouse to warehouse or from a warehouse to a retail location. These types of jobs also deliver goods to consumer homes as well.

Truck driving jobs that are long-distance heavy truck and tractor-trailer require drivers to spend most of their working time behind the wheel, and they may also have to load or unload their cargo. This is especially common for truck driver jobs which haul specialty cargo because they may be the only ones at the destination familiar with procedures or certified to handle the materials. Trucking jobs such as auto-transport drivers, for example, position cars on the trailers at the manufacturing plant and remove them at the dealerships. When picking up or delivering furniture, drivers of long-distance moving vans hire local workers to help them load or unload.

Another job search for truck driving jobs might be driving light or delivery services truck drivers operate vans and trucks weighing less than 26,000 pounds GVW. They pick up or deliver merchandise and packages within a specific area. These are truck driver jobs which include short “turnarounds” to deliver a shipment to a nearby city, pick up another loaded truck or van, and drive it back to their home base the same day. These services may require use of electronic delivery tracking systems to track the whereabouts of the merchandise or packages. Light or delivery services truck drivers usually load or unload the merchandise at the customer’s place of business. They may have helpers if there are many deliveries to make during the day, or if the load requires heavy moving. Typically, before the driver arrives for work, material handlers load the trucks and arrange items for ease of delivery. Customers must sign receipts for goods and pay drivers the balance due on the merchandise if there is a cash-on-delivery arrangement. At the end of the day drivers turn in receipts, payments, records of deliveries made, and any reports on mechanical problems with their trucks.

Some local truck driver jobs have sales and customer service responsibilities. The primary responsibility of driver/sales workers, or route drivers, is to deliver and sell their firm’s products over established routes or within an established territory. These truck driving jobs require operators to sell goods such as food products, including restaurant takeout items, or pick up and deliver items such as laundry. Their response to customer complaints and requests can make the difference between a large order and a lost customer. Route drivers may also take orders and collect payments.

The duties of trucking jobs that are driver/sales workers vary according to their industry, the policies of their employer, and the emphasis placed on their sales responsibility. Most have wholesale routes that deliver to businesses and stores, rather than to homes. For example, wholesale bakery driver/sales workers deliver and arrange bread, cakes, rolls, and other baked goods on display racks in grocery stores. They estimate how many of each item to stock by paying close attention to what is selling. They may recommend changes in a store’s order or encourage the manager to stock new bakery products. Laundries that rent linens, towels, work clothes, and other items employ driver/sales workers to visit businesses regularly to replace soiled laundry. Their duties also may include soliciting new customers along their sales route. After completing their route, driver/sales workers place orders for their next deliveries based on product sales and customer requests.

Without the trucking industry and those that perform truck driver jobs, the goods and services that make American life as we know it would come to a halt.

Job seekers interested in truck driving jobs need to know the typical earnings for various trucking jobs and how truckers are compensated. There are several ways in which truck drivers receive payment including annual salaries, hourly wages, commissions or bonuses. It is important to know that within every occupation, including truck driving jobs, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area. Also, in many jobs, including truck driving jobs, company benefits account for more than a quarter of total compensation costs to employers. Benefits such as paid vacation, health insurance, and sick leave are more or less the norm for full time employees. Job seekers should still however, consider these types of benefits as part of an attractive compensation package. Also, for those seeking trucking jobs, other less common benefits such as child care, tuition for dependents, housing assistance, free or discounted merchandise or services should be kept in mind when calculating truckers salaries. Also, though not as common as traditional benefits such as paid vacation, employers increasingly offer flexible hours and profit sharing plans to attract and retain highly qualified workers including truck driving jobs.

Jobs seekers will benefit from knowing the most recent government sources which quote trucker salaries or hourly earnings for heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers as $17.99 in May 2007. The middle 50 percent of heavy truck drivers earned between $13.84 and $21.95 an hour with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $11.23. Truckers salaries within the highest 10 percent earned more than $26.35 an hour. Industries employing the largest numbers of heavy truck and tractor-trailer truck drivers reported hourly wages for general freight trucking at $19.18 per hour, grocery and related product wholesalers at $18.92, specialized freight trucking $17.05, employment services at $16.19 and cement and concrete product manufacturing at $15.81.

The May 2007 government report for light or delivery trucking services included a median hourly wage of $12.89. Also reported were median wage of between $9.79 and $ 17.48 an hour for the middle range or 50 percent of trucking jobs. The lowest 10 percent of light or delivery truckers earned less than $8.25, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $22.76 an hour. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of light or delivery services truck drivers were, couriers $19.60, general freight trucking $16.16, grocery and related product wholesalers $13.59, building material and supplies dealers $11.85 and automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores $8.81 per hour.

Lastly, the median hourly earnings for driver/sales workers, including commissions, were reported at $10.55 with the middle 50 percent earning between $7.58 and $15.94 an hour. Trucking jobs with the lowest 10 percent earned less than $6.96, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $21.64 an hour. Truckers salaries or median hourly earnings in the industries employing the greatest numbers of driver/sales workers in May 2007 were dry cleaning and laundry services $16.03, direct selling establishments $14.80, grocery and related product wholesalers $14.86, limited-service eating places $7.42 and full-service restaurants $7.20.

Local truck driving jobs tend to be paid by the hour, with extra pay for overtime work. Employers normally pay long-distance drivers primarily by the mile. The per-mile rate can vary greatly from employer to employer and may even depend on the type of cargo which is being hauling. Some long-distance drivers are paid a percent of each load’s revenue. Typically, earnings increase with mileage driven, seniority, and the size and type of truck driven. Most driver/sales workers receive commissions based on their sales in addition to their hourly wages.

Most self-employed truck drivers are primarily engaged in long-distance hauling. Many of those with trucking jobs are members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Some truck drivers employed by companies outside the trucking industry are members of unions representing the plant workers of the companies for which they work.