When it comes to CDL trucking jobs, there are lots of different opportunities. The type of trucking job you are looking for depends on the distance from home you are expected to travel, the type of truck and trailer you will haul, and the companies you haul that material for. First, you need to understand the four primary distances you can drive and how that impacts your truck driving opportunities.

Type #1: Long Haul Trucking

Long haul trucking is often also called over the road trucking. These are the truckers that pick up a load in one state and drive it all the way to its destination across the country. Or you may pick up and drop off multiple loads as you go across the country and back. These are the truckers that drive with a sleeper cab, as they sleep and rest as they take their load across the country on their own.

With a long-haul trucking job, you have some flexibility with trip planning, as long as you make it to your destination in time. Different companies have different pay rates for this position as a long-haul trucker. With this type of job, you are going to spend long stretches away from home.

Type #2: Short Haul Trucking

You are still driving long distances with short-haul trucking, but you are not expected to drive across the country. Most of your work will happen within a 150-mile radius of your home terminal.

As a short-haul trucker, you may be away from home for a few nights, but you will not be away from home as long as you would be as a long-haul trucker. With short-haul trucking, the availability of jobs depends upon where you are based. This position operates with a dedicated and predictable work schedule. You can work long days with this type of job.

Type #3: City, Highway, and Regional Work

A city, highway, or regional trucker is likely never going to be asked to sleep overnight when transporting their truck. Your routes will be within a distance that you can drive to and from your destination during one shift. With city, highway, and regional work, you may make deliveries just for one company. You will generally make multiple pick-ups and deliveries over the course of one day. You will have more interactions with others. You will be able to stay at home and have a more active home life.

Type #4: LTL Freight Deliveries

Finally, there are Less-Than-Truckload or LTL freight deliveries. With this type of delivery, your truck is load up with multiple shipments of different sizes and weights to fill up the truck. Then, you have to make multiple drops to unload all of the cargo, which can take a lot of time. You may be working within a local area, or you may be driving a great distance. This type of trucking job requires more management and awareness of what you are shipping.

When it comes to trucking jobs, you need to determine how often you want to be at home each night and how far away from your hub base you want to drive. If you are okay with being on the road, long-haul trucking may be for you. If you want to be home every night, city and regional work may be best for you. If you want something in-between, investigate short-haul jobs. For a more challenging experience, consider LTL freight deliveries. For more information, contact a company that provides truck driving opportunities.