Roadway trucking is essential for people and businesses who do not own their own transport vehicle, which can take large amounts of merchandise long distances. Since the average person, most likely, does not have said vehicle sitting around for when they need to transport things, roadway trucking is a good alternative.
There are many instances in which you might need things transported over large distances. For example, you may need to move furniture to your new residence across the country, you may need to transport merchandise from a factory to your business, or you may need to transport items from your own factory to customers.
For whatever reason you are shipping, roadway trucking companies are much easier than trying to transport large quantities of things on your own.
Knowing the status of your merchandise is also a benefit to utilizing roadway trucking. As a client, you should have the ability to be informed of your shipments status and at what time you can expect you delivery to reach its destination as it is being transported across the country.
This feature is made possible by well organized, established roadway trucking services. If they are reliable, the company should know where there delivery trucks are at all times and can, therefore, pass the information onto their clients in a timely manner. Also, being informed of any delays in a particular area (weather, traffic jams, natural disasters) and having an efficient way to convey the information to the waiting customers, should be the responsibility of a roadway trucking company as well.
As a general rule, there are two requirements customers need in order to track the freight they are transporting. They should have a computer with internet access and have the progressive rotating order (PRO) number of their shipment.
If they have both of these requirements, the procedure is fairly simple. The customer must go to the roadway trucking company’s website they are using and search for the section of the site that deals with tracking. After they have located this, the customer can type in the 10-digit number they were given and the desired information regarding the tracking status of their shipment should become available.
Roadway Trucking Companies
Without the companies whose trucks run year round, roadway trucking would not be possible. Currently, there are four major trucking companies in business.
- YRC
One of the oldest roadway trucking companies, YRC’s history can be traced back to 1924. YRC is a fortune 500 company and is known as one of the largest transport servicecompanies in the world. Their deliveries range from the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and includes areas in Puerto Rico and Guam as well. - Old Dominion Trucking Company
A roadway trucking company, Old Dominion is a union-free company dating back to 1934. It was based in Thomasville, North Carolina and provides delivery services throughout America. Their distribution is limited to the mainland and, therefore, Hawaii and other continents are not able to use their services. There are three types of transportation services available through Old Dominion Trucking Company: expedited, domestic, and international. - Saia Trucking
Founded in 1924, Saia trucking is a roadway trucking company that offers its services to every state in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This massive company has over 8000 employees and 150 terminals, making it a force to be reckoned with in the roadway trucking industry. - Conway Trucking
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Conway trucking expands into 20 countries and stretches over 5 continents. Conway trucking is known for its strict regulations on safety and requires drivers to put a premium on safety while delivering across long distances.
Roadway Trucking Jobs
There are several different categories in which a roadway trucking employee may fall; for example, some drivers are called auto haulers. These drivers specialize in loading and carrying automobiles on trailers that have been specially designed for this purpose.
- Boat hauler is another category in which a roadway trucking company employee may find himself in. Just as the name suggests, these drivers are charged with transporting boats by using special trailers known as lowboy trailers.
- Flatbed truck drivers are also common, they carry large amounts of lumber, pipe, and tanks on trucks with flatbeds. Dry van truck drivers are charged with large trailers, known as pneumatic trailers. Pneumatic trailers are simply designed to haul sand or cement.
- Tanker drivers are another branch of roadway trucking work, however, these job can be particularly dangerous. Tanker drivers are responsible for transporting large amounts of chemicals, fuels, and other (sometimes explosive) liquids.
- Lastly, there are long haul drivers. These drivers carry cargo over very large distances, usually across country.
Roadway trucking is an influential part of our economy and allows the United States and other countries to successfully trade and distribute large quantities of products in a timely and efficient manner. Without Roadway trucking companies, industries such as Wal-Mart, Subway, Tyson, etc. would not be able to make a profit through mass distribution and each local area would have to have their own factory for whatever merchandise they needed. Or, individuals would have to drive long distances to pick up the product they desired. The convenience of roadway trucking, though undoubtedly taken for granted, is how the business world we know today continues to function and give us the services we require, when living in a country as large as the United States.
