Contrary to what many believe the truck driving business do not only offer jobs to people wanting to drive heavy tractor-trailers across the country. Behind all the big rigs you see along Americas highways and interstates there is an elaborate network of workers who help this industry run like clock work. Truck drivers and driver/sales workers who ensure the safe delivery of cargo to its destination on time only occupy 45% of the trucking industry. Many other positions are available within the field of trucking.

Laborers such as stock, freight and material movers are all people who help load and unload cargo and move it around warehouses and terminals and in order to do so they may use things such as conveyor belts, fork lifts, hand trucks or pallet jacks. Most of these workers are often unskilled.

Positions relating to installation, maintenance and repair are often occupied by workers coming from similar jobs within other industries than the trucking industry and have often received some form of specialized training. Service technicians and mechanics are people who perform preventive safety checks and also do some routine service and repairs. These sometimes advance to part managers who monitor the inventory and therefore require computer skills, mechanical knowledge and purchasing procedures.

Office workers and people in administration are who perform the recordkeeping for the warehouses and transportation and while these people keep records of everything dispatchers are the ones who coordinate all movement of cargo and trucks as well as assign pick up and deliveries to available truck drivers. They give truckers their schedules and routes and have to juggle drivers in order to best satisfy their clients. Shipping and receiving clerks has to keep record of any and all cargo arriving and leaving a terminal.

People who meet with potential customers are called sales related workers. As they meet with customers they discuss their individual needs and suggest the right services for those clients. Requirements for these positions are that you must be able to analyze sales statistics, prepare reports as well as being able to handle some administrative duties. Traveling is also a part of these positions.

Last but not least there is the managerial staff whose responsibilities are to provide general direction to the firm. They hire staff, supervise and ensure safety. They are also in charge of training workers for the various positions within the industry. These are the people who solve problems such as foreseeing the demand for transportation. Ordering parts and equipment and parts are parts of their duties along with scheduling transportation of goods. These workers are also the ones who map out the most efficient traffic routes.