Truck Driver Work Environment

What is it like to be a Truck Driver?

• Over the road trucking is a lifestyle choice. Drivers can be away from home for days or weeks at a time. Much of their time OTR is spent alone.
• Work schedules can be very different in the truck driving profession than a typical M-F job. Truck drivers often work nights, weekends and holidays, depending on their schedules. Most truck drivers work full-time and have regulated hours they can work.
• Drivers may not work more than 14 hours straight, consisting of 11 hours of driving and the remaining 3 hours doing other work, such as unloading cargo.
• Between working periods, drivers must have at least 10 hours off duty.
• Drivers are limited to no more than 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, then drivers must take 34 hours off before starting another 7 or 8 day run. Regulations require hours to be recorded in a logbook.
• Truck driving can be physically demanding.
• Driving for consecutive hours can be tiring.
• Some drivers must load and unload cargo.
• Drivers must have hand-eye coordination to use their legs, hands and eyes simultaneously to drive, shift and react appropriately to drive a truck.
• Truck drivers must have good hearing- federal regulations require a driver to be able to hear a forced whisper in one ear at 5 feet away (with or without a hearing aid).
• Truck drivers must pass a vision test with at least 20/40 vision with a 70-degree field of vision in each eye and be able to distinguish the colors on a traffic light.
• Truck drivers must have good physical health and be free of some medical conditions that would interfere with the ability to safely operate a tractor-trailer. Examples include epilepsy, high blood pressure, insulin use, hearing loss and vision loss. Medical exceptions can be granted in some cases.

Contact Us

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Thank you and we look forward to assisting you with the start of your new career! If you have any questions, please contact:

Kelsey Klaver (Recruitment & Student Specialist)
klaver_k@iowacentral.edu
515-574-1965 call or text 515-570-3524

Jamie Hoshaw (Associate Dean)
hoshaw@iowacentral.edu
515-574-1964 call or text 515-570-3525