If you’re interested in being a truck driver, but do not want to load and unload pallets, consider becoming a heavy haul truck driver. A heavy haul truck driver can have a rewarding career, one that allows a great deal of independence, while still earning a reasonable salary.
Considering how much equipment needs to ship throughout the country, heavy haul trucking is in demand. If you’re interested in beginning your career in the heavy haul trucking industry, keep reading! We’ll cover everything you need to know.
What Is Heavy Haul Trucking?
Before diving into some of the specific details, let’s start at a high level. What exactly is heavy haul trucking? Simply put, heavy haul trucking is when a truck moves any load that exceeds normal or conventional dimensions.
Heavy haul trucking will include oversized freight, transporting heavy machinery, or wide load trucking. Heavy haul trucking can be more complex than transporting a standard load.
Manipulating and driving a truck that has an excess amount of weight, or a wide load, is increasingly more challenging than shipping a truckload of pallets from destination A to destination B. As such, it’s important to be experienced in hauling heavy truckloads.
How Does Heavy Haul Trucking Work
The mechanics of heavy haul trucking is not nearly as simple as conventional trucking. For instance, additional DOT guidelines may need to be met to transport a heavy load, such as a heavy flag truck accompanying the heavy load truck.
However, similar to conventional trucking, various requirements must be met before one can become a heavy haul truck driver. Heavy haul truck drivers may transport loads across the country, or down the street.
Plus, there is no mileage minimum that must be met to be considered a heavy haul. That’s an important distinguishing factor as well.
Advantages to Being a Heavy Haul Truck Driver
There are various advantages to becoming a wavy haul truck driver. Such advantages include the following.
Income Opportunity
Heavy haul truck drivers typically have more experience in the trucking industry. Additionally, there are not nearly as many qualified heavy haul truck drivers as conventional truck drivers. For that reason, heavy haul truck drivers typically make a higher hourly rate, or have a more lucrative salary when compared to a regular truck driver.
Independence
If you like having independence, heavy haul trucking may be great for you! Heavy haul truck drivers typically do the trip alone, and there are not nearly as many stops along the way.
Seeing the Country
Heavy haul trucking doesn’t just stop at the state border. There are plenty of jobs that require a heavy load to be shipped across the country. If you love spending time on the road, and want to see the land, it’s easy to do so as a heavy haul truck driver.
Less Daily Stops
As a heavy haul truck driver, your focus is going from the pick-up point to the drop-off destination. There are no additional stops along the way, whereas a conventional truck driver may have anywhere from six to 15 or more stops on any given day as they work tirelessly to bring pallets to various locations. If you take pleasure in having a more linear approach to your work, heavy hauling might just be for you!
Disadvantages to Being a Heavy Haul Truck Driver
Although there are plenty of benefits to being a heavy haul truck driver, there are also disadvantages. Such disadvantages include the following examples.
Away Time
As a heavy haul truck driver, you may be tasked with shipping cargo across the entire country. This can have you away from your home for weeks at a time. If you are married or have children, this can take a toll on your family life.
Easy to Slip Into Unhealthy LIfestyle
Being on the road for extended periods of time is tough on the body. It’s easy to slip into an unhealthy lifestyle. You’re sitting down for extended periods of time, which may cause lower back and hip problems.
Plus, the lack of movement can cause you to gain body weight more readily, too. Additionally, eating healthy while on the road isn’t always easy or appealing.
Long Hours
Heavy haul truck drivers often work long hours, which can be absolutely exhausting. Even so, heavy haul truck drivers still must obey the DOT guidelines for how many hours they can actually work on the road.
6 Steps to Become a Heavy Haul Truck Driver
You can become a heavy haul truck driver by completing the following steps.
Know the Requirements
First and foremost, you need to familiarize yourself with the various basic requirements to become a heavy haul truck driver. Some states will allow you to become a heavy haul truck driver at 18 years old, whereas other states require you to be at least 21 years old.
You may also be required to meet an education requirement, like having a GED. You may need to have your Class D license for a specific period of time before even applying to become a heavy haul truck driver.
Obtain a CDL Learners Permit
You’ll need to obtain your CDL. There are plenty of resources available to obtain your CDL permit. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a step-by-step guide that discusses how you can obtain your CDL permit.
Pass the CDL Test and Obtain CDL License
Once you’ve secured your CDL permit and held it for the minimum length of time, you can apply for your CDL license. This will require you to pass a test that includes an academic test and road driving test.
Pass the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
The CDL test is not the only test you’ll need to pass. You will also need to pass the Federal Motor Carrier’s safety regulations test. This test will test your vision and you must pass a thorough drug test.
Gain Experience
It’s difficult to begin your career as a truck driver if you have zero experience. More often than not, heavy haul trucking companies will require you to have experience driving trucks before they are comfortable giving you a heavy haul or oversized trucking job. However, you can use a conventional trucking job as a stepping stone.
Apply for Heavy Hauling Jobs
Once you’ve obtained enough experience, apply for heavy hauling trucking jobs! As mentioned, these jobs are in demand considering the experience one must have.
Accelerate Your Career With Heavy Haul Trucking
If you’re interested in taking your career to the next level, becoming a heavy haul truck driver may be the right step for you. Working with one of the best heavy haul trucking companies is a great way to ensure you have a strong salary and great benefits.
Heavy hauling is in demand, and if you have trucking experience, or want to try something new, it may be the perfect career for you. Heavy haul truck drivers have plenty of independence, and have the opportunity to see the country.
FAQ
Heavy haul trucking certainly pays well considering the experience most companies require their heavy haul truck drivers to have.
Becoming a heavy haul truck driver requires experience, and skill. It’s not an easy job, but its a job that is in demand.
A heavy haul is anything that exceeds conventional dimensions from both size and weight. For instance, heavy equipment transport is often considered a heavy haul.
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