Practice traveling with a mission! Geocaching is an activity where you find a hidden object using GPS--then log your discovery and re-hide it for others to find. Sign up and try it!

Find hidden treasures all around you with geocaching!

In most states you have to be 18 to get your commercial drivers license, but it's never too early to research the requirements where you live.

Find out how to get a commercial drivers license.

Look at your Roadmap and try to find (or create) the community at the intersection of your Foundation and Core Interests. Reach out to others that share your interests and work together to expand your capabilities. 

Find your niche.

Organize a roadtrip (solo or with friends) to a few locations you have never been. Talk to people you meet along the way, explore, and embrace the adventure! What do you most want to gain? 

Go on a roadtrip! 

Being instinctive isnt an innate trait: Its a quality that increases or decreases given how much we practice doing it well. Learn how to trust your gut and determine if a choice is right for you!

Trust your instincts.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Second Interest High-Point

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

First Interest High-Point

Third Interest High-Point

Truck Driver 

You'll never do anything good with a job like that. 

Truck Driver

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers

Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Motor Vehicle Operators

Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.

Follow appropriate safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods.

Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.

Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.

Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers.

Maneuver trucks into loading or unloading positions, following signals from loading crew and checking that vehicle and loading equipment are properly positioned.

Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.

Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.

Drive trucks with capacities greater than 3 tons, including tractor-trailer combinations, to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials.

Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.

Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.

Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes.

Drive trucks to weigh stations before and after loading and along routes in compliance with state regulations.

Couple or uncouple trailers by changing trailer jack positions, connecting or disconnecting air or electrical lines, or manipulating fifth-wheel locks.

Check conditions of trailers after contents have been unloaded to ensure that there has been no damage.

Perform basic vehicle maintenance tasks, such as adding oil, fuel, or radiator fluid or performing minor repairs.

Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.

Read and interpret maps to determine vehicle routes.

Operate equipment, such as truck cab computers, CB radios, phones, or global positioning systems (GPS) equipment to exchange necessary information with bases, supervisors, or other drivers.

Plan or adjust routes based on changing conditions, using computer equipment, global positioning systems (GPS) equipment, or other navigation devices, to minimize fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Load or unload trucks or help others with loading or unloading, using special loading-related equipment or other equipment as necessary.

Follow special cargo-related procedures, such as checking refrigeration systems for frozen foods or providing food or water for livestock.

Inventory and inspect goods to be moved to determine quantities and conditions.

Wrap and secure goods using pads, packing paper, containers, or straps.

Install or remove special equipment, such as tire chains, grader blades, plow blades, or sanders.

Operate idle reduction systems or auxiliary power systems to generate power from alternative sources, such as fuel cells, to reduce idling time, to heat or cool truck cabins, or to provide power for other equipment.

Perform emergency roadside repairs, such as changing tires or installing light bulbs, tire chains, or spark plugs.

Give directions to laborers who are packing goods and moving them onto trailers.

Drive electric or hybrid-electric powered trucks or alternative fuel-powered trucks to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials.

Operate trucks equipped with snowplows or sander attachments to maintain roads in winter weather.

4-ranger tower trucks

Air compressors

Blocks and tackle

Cargo hoists

Cell phones

Dump trucks

Flatbed trucks

Forklifts

Global positioning system GPS receivers

Handlifts

Handtrucks

Hydraulic lifts

Johnson bars

Laser facsimile machines

Lowboy trailers

Notebook computers

On-board computers

Personal digital assistants PDA

Plow attachments

Pup trailers

Refuse collection trucks

Satellite linkup systems

Scanners

Sliding fifth wheels

Sliding tandem axles

Telescoping boom trucks

Tilt trailers

Trucks greater than 26000 pounds

Two way radios

Wheel loaders

Winches

ADP ezLaborManager

ALK Technologies PC*Miler

Computerized inventory tracking software

ddlsoftware.com drivers daily log program DDL

Fog Line Software Truckn Pro

MarcoSoft Quo Vadis

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Word

Omnitracs Performance Monitoring

PeopleNet

TruckersHelper

[MUSIC] It's not a job really. It's a lifestyle. It's not something that you just go do for eight hours a day. You know, I mean look where I am. I'm 1500 miles from my home. So it's not just a job. You're taking on a whole different life. >> Do you enjoy it? >> Oh, I love it. Been at it for, like I said, I went to school for three and a half years. >> What did you study? >> Computer Science and Spanish, actually. >> Wow. >> Oh wow. >> All the jobs that my two majors would have led into, I didn't have any interest in actually doing any of those jobs. And then the Spanish was the same way. I loved studying the language, I love travelling. Like I spent some time in Central and South America, but what am I gonna do. Well I'm gonna teach or I'm gonna professionally translate legal documents pretty much. Both of those sound terrible to me. I can't even fathom having to do it nine to five, Monday to Friday. >> Pretty big stuff, though, I'm guessing. >> Oh definitely, and my family of course, was disappointed, to say the least. But, I mean they all kinda stood by it. And they're like, well, do what makes you happy, but we really wish you'd finish school. >> You've got no regrets? >> Now, absolutely none. My biggest thing is just not being afraid of the consequences. Well that's why so many people stay where they are. I mean, how many people have you met that don't like their job? Well, it's most of the people I know. If they won the lottery today they'd quit tomorrow. They don't like their jobs, but they suffer through them, and they're all so scared. I mean, there are these great opportunities out there. I don't care if you're 25 years old, if you're 50 years old, if you don't like your job, there are other ways out there, but everybody's so scared. 

Darius Uible Highlight

<p>In Austin, the UK team interviews Cliff Antone, owner of the famous Antone's Blues Club. En route to Phoenix, the team makes a pit stop to talk with truck driver Darius. Finally in Phoenix, they meet with Pam Gaber, founder of the non-profit group Gabriel's Angels.</p>

Austin - Phoenix

[MUSIC] It's not a job really, it's a lifestyle. It's not something that you just go do for 8 hours a day, look where I am I'm 1500 miles from my home. So it's not just a job, you're taking on a whole different life. >> Do you enjoy it? >> Oh, I love it, I've been at it for, like I said, I went to school for three and half years. >> What did you study? >> Computer science and Spanish actually. >> Wow. >> All of the jobs that my two majors would have lead in to, I didn't have any interest in actually doing any of those jobs. And then Spanish was the same way, I love studying the language and I love travelling. Like, I spent some time in Central and South America, but what am I going to do? Well, I'm going to teach or I'm going to professionally translate legal documents pretty much, both of those sound terrible to me. I can't even fathom having to do it from nine to five, Monday to Friday. >> Pretty big step there, I'm guessing. >> Oh definitely, and my family of course, was disappointed to say the least. >> Yeah. >> But I mean they all kinda stood by it and were like, well, do whatever makes you happy, but we really wish you'd finish school. >> You got any regrets? >> Now, absolutely none, my biggest thing is not being afraid of the consequences. Well that's why so many stay where they are, how many people have you met that don't like their job? It's most of the people I know, if they won the lottery today, they'd quit tomorrow, they don't like their jobs. But they suffer through them, and they're all so scared, there are these great opportunities out there. I don't care if you're 25 years old, if you're 50 years old, if you don't like your job, there are other ways out there, but everybody's so scared. [MUSIC] 

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Overview

Career

Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career

What Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Do

Other Job Titles Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Overview

Career

Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career

What Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Do

Other Job Titles Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Majors Related to Career

Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders

Related Careers