Job Analysis: Heavy Track Driver

Introduction

The truck drivers are frequently present at the nation's highway system, the tractor operators and the industrial truck, transport machinery, livestock, liquids, general freight, and hazardous materials. The driving occupation is suitable for people with stamina, and it requires the individuals to be in good health because of the difficult work conditions.

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Moreover, to determine how to transport the cargo, the truck drivers begin their job by reading the bills of lading and other instructions. The drivers inspect the vehicles for safety before starting the routes, for instance, the brakes, lights, and windshield wipers must be in the appropriate state. The safety equipment must be on board, including the fire extinguishers, traffic cones, and flares. The duties of a track driver entail, driving over long distances, carrying heavy loads, and lifting heavy materials that lead to spending long periods in uncomfortable positions. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrative standardize the working periods for the lorry drivers. The body schedules the required time off after working for extended periods, and the daily and weekly work limits. On the hourly basis, the truck driver can earn 16 dollars to 30 dollars per hour. Further, because the drivers work on weekends, at night, and on holidays, the truck operators must possess some significant qualities to drive safely: good hearing ability, visual ability, physical health, and hand-eye coordination. The truck operator logs 2,000 miles per week and can go home one and three weeks at a time (Heavy driver, heavy/light, p.1).

Of equal importance, the students in the truck-driving program are taught various disciplines including, collecting delivery instructions for appropriate sources, verifying directives and routes, maneuvering the trucks into loading or unloading positions, and following the signals from the loading crew (Job Corps, par.1). Furthermore, before enrolling for the course, the student must be 18, 21 years of age, should have the essential academic requirements in math and reading, and a high school diploma, or equivalent, and should have a valid driving license and a clean driving record. A good hearing, 20/40 vision or better, should be able to use the legs and arms comfortably, and a driver must not have left the scene of a crime or caused a fatality through negligent operation of a motor vehicle (par.3). The truck drivers are expected to display the following traits while on duty: focus, independence, commitment to safety, attention for others, and attention to details (par.4).

Furthermore, in the US labor force, the trucking industry is a significant component of approximately 7 million individuals holding the trucking-related jobs (M.J. McReynolds, p.5). There has been an increasing demand for both the freight services and the requisite truck operators needed to move goods all over the country. The truck operators' shortage has been estimated to be 30,000 to 35,000, with a possible scarcity of 240,000 drivers by 2022 according to the American Trucking Association. The large pool of the market participants has driven the price of the freight services, and the profit margins downwards. The American Tracking Association data describes that the operating margins fell from 3.8% to 3.4 percentage through 2010-2013. Furthermore, there is no liquidity for the individual companies to substantially increase the wages and remain profitable because of the downward pressure of the prices. It has become difficult to retain the truck operators because of competition among the motor carriers; hence, the truck companies lose the drivers to other trucking companies. A carrier can provide better benefits, for example signing bonuses or pay increases to attract employees. The annual operator turnover percentage for almost all motor carriers is in extreme double-digits because the shippers maintain a stable number of the long-term veteran drivers (p.6). Besides, the qualifications needed to become a commercial truck operator as dictated by the State and Federal laws involve a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), port access card, multiple lines of insurance, a medical card, the transportation security credentials, and a variety of endorsements such as hazmat endorsement. The operators can get the authorizations for the CDL to show the ability to drive a specific kind of a motor vehicle. An additional knowledge test and a background check is essential in obtaining this certification. A person must be 21 years of age and should pass a physical examination every two years. The truck drivers face many external and internal pressures regarding the new driver scrutiny. When inspecting an individual driver, the mover considers the driving history, insurance costs, and drug tests. While on duty, the drivers are tested for drug or alcohol abuse with random testing as directed by the federal regulation. The Safety Scoring Programs, such as Compliant Safety Accountability (CSA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA), and the Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP), discourage the hiring of truck operators with poor records (p.6).

Equally important, the truck drivers in the United States work long hours, day-off patterns and irregular shift, and several consecutive nights away from the family making it a tough profession (Saltzman and Belzer, p.13). The overtime pay provisions that require time-and-one-half pay for work hours more than 40 per week, as stated by the Fair Labor Standards Act, does not apply to the truck operators. The truck drivers wait in the ports performing difficult tasks that involve loading and unloading of the materials, which make up approximately 25% of the total work time, for which there is no compensation. The low wages and the unattractive working environments are the reasons for the 121% operators' turnover rate in the large truckload sector in 2005, as cited by the America Trucking Association. Moreover, the operators who deliver unhardened concrete are at risk of chemical burns and allergic skin reactions because of the alkaline and chromium substances exposure (p.14). Because of the vapor released during the gasoline transfers, the operators of the gasoline truck experience nausea, dizziness, and acute headaches. The exposure can be extensive at the truck stops and the loading docks, leading to allergic inflammations and lung cancer. Further, it is hard for the truck operators to obtain quality healthcare because of the demanding work timetable. Among the forty-seven percent surveyed truck operators, 62% failed to seek out the needed medical care when on duty, and fifty-six percent of the drivers found it demanding to make it to the healthcare due to the work program. The long working hours, the extended time on the roads and the pressure to stay on schedule even in bad weather can cause stress to the individuals. The truck drivers can be victims of either verbal abuse or physical violence, for instance, the US beer delivery operators are robbery targets because the drivers can carry 1,000 dollars to 3,000 dollars in cash by the end of the day.

Conclusion

To conclude, to determine how to transport the cargo, the truck drivers begin work by reading the bills of lading, checking the vehicles for safety before transit, and other instructions. The drivers and are involved in the transportation of materials, which entail the loading and unloading of various goods. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration controls the working days for the truck operators. To register as a commercial driver, the student must be 21 years of age, should have a valid and clean license, and should have a suitable hearing, 20/40 vision and much more. There is an increasing demand in the requisite truck operators and freight services all over the country. Because of the long working hours, and the exposure to chemical substances, the truck operators experience health complications.

Works Cited

Job Corps. "Heavy truck driving." 2017, Retrieved from www.Jobcorps.gov/train/392/transpotation/203/advanced-heavy-truck-driving.

M J. McReynolds. "White paper: analysis of truck driver age demographics." 2014, Retrieved from www.mmta.com/.../Analysis%20of%Truck%20age%Demographics%

Saltzman, Gregory and Belzer Michael. "Truck driver occupation safety and health." 2007, Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-120/pdfs/2007-120.pdf

Truck Driver, Heavy/Light and Tractor Trailer (CDL-A/CDL-B). 2016, Retrieved from http://www.in.gov/dwd/abe/files/occupationlFlyers/workIN_CDL_Truck_Driver.pdf.