White Trucks and White Motor Company - A Wild and Wacky Ride

History of White Trucks

White Trucks, also known as White Motor Company, was founded in 1900 by Thomas H. White. Thomas was also the founder of the White Sewing Machine company. Two years prior to that White had bought a Locomobile steam car and his son, Rollin, worked to improve its design and makeup. Rollin then patented this new version and offered it back to Locomobile.

White Trucks Builds First Vehicles

Rollin then managed to get his father to let him build a steam car using the redesigned motor in a car in a corner of the sewing machine company. His brother, Windsor, joined in the venture and they managed to put together 50 cars by October 1900 and after testing, they were offered for sale to the general public in April 1901.

At this time, White Motor Company was still a part of the White Sewing Machine Company, but they separated in 1905 to form its own company. One of its first notable historic moments was the building of a steam car known as Whistling Billy, which Web Jay drove on July 4, 1905 at a then record speed of nearly 74 miles per hour.

In 1909, one of White's cars was chosen by William Howard Taft as the first official president's car, which got the White Motor Company lots of positive publicity.

The last of these steam powered cars came in January 1911 when White Motor Company changed to making gas powered vehicles.

White Motor Company Gas Vehicles

Even though the White steamer car was considered to be a good vehicle, the standard being accepted at the time was the combustion engine, which used gas to power it. White knew this, so he licensed rights to the Delahaye style of gas powered cars. Delahaye was a car producer at the time.

Tractors Join the Vehicles at White Motor Company

At this time, Rollin White was getting interested in making tractors and created them from White Motor Company truck parts. The main company, however, didn't share Rollin's enthusiasm for tractors, so he created his own company called Cleveland Motor Plow, and that turned into Cletrac Tractor later on.

White Motor Company Buses

During the 30s, White Motor Company made buses to take people through the National Parks in the U.S. and they ran in seven of the National Parks in the western U.S. Some of these early White buses have even been restored and still are in operation at the parks.

White Begins Making Trucks

White Motor Company stopped making cars right after World War I and started making trucks. At that time they sold about 10 percent of all the trucks in the U.S. White made several sizes of trucks, including light all the way to semi trucks. They were a strong company, and managed to add several other truck companies to their holdings throughout the next few years, including Sterling, Autocar, Diamond T, and REO. They also sold Consolidated Freightways trucks, but didn't own them outright.

Notable Historic Events for White Trucks

Throughout its history, White Trucks has had several notable events occur since it began making trucks. These include:

In 1932 White Trucks briefly merged with Studebaker due to low sales during the Depression, but two years later, they reorganized and became the White Motor Corporation.

In 1949, one of White Trucks semi trucks appeared in the James Cagney movie White Heat.

In 1967, White Trucks formed a Western Star section and it sold trucks in the western part of the U.S.

In 1953, White purchased the Autocar Company, and from then until the 1970s they distributed trucks from Freightliner, but still were making trucks under their own company name. Their sales went down in the 1960s and they briefly tried to merge with their old sewing machine company but that move was disallowed by the federal government.

They also considered mergers with other companies around this time, such as Daimler and Renault. However, ultimately it was Volvo AV that got White Truck's U.S. assets in 1981 after White went bankrupt in 1980 and lost $311 million.

It's assets in Canada were bought by Bow Valley Resources Services and NovaCorp. White officially went out of business by 1985 under its own power, but Volvo kept the White brand name until sometime in the 1990s.

White Trucks Under Volvo Brand

During the 1980s, White Trucks made trucks under the White name and Autocar even though Volvo owned them, so it was known as Volvo-White. Volvo later bought out the heavy trucking owned by GMC in 1987 and merged it with White Trucks, thus forming a brand called White-GMC. Later, Volvo stopped using the White brand name and was just known as Volvo Trucks.

During the 1980s, under Volvo, they created improved styles of trucks, including the Integral Sleeper in 1982, which was a long distance vehicle; the Conventional in 1983, which had been upgraded; as well as the Autocar DS in 1984, the Integral Tall Sleeper truck in 1985 (known as the Globetrotter of America); the Aero in 1987; a construction style truck called the Autocar that had an integrated driveline, also in 1987. By 1996 Volvo was no longer using the White brand name and was known as Volvo-Autocar.

As you can see, over the years the White Motor Company and White Trucks changed hands and names several times during its history. Although somewhat of tumultuous road it is White trucks that helped to make many valuable changes and improvements in the trucking industry that will continue to be felt today.

Cross-Country in a Semi-Truck

Desperate times require desperate actions. It was a desperate act. I desperately needed a job or a story to sell.

Basically, I needed money and something to do. I was still searching for a second career and running out of options.

It was a Sunday morning and I had a bus pass, but nowhere to go. I was trying to "think outside the box" in hopes that I could find a second career with the skills some human resource specialist always tells me are "transferrable," but never knows any company that is hiring someone with over 20 years' experience in a different industry. I was frustrated, tired, irritated and just plain bored.

I had to do something, even if it was wrong. I had always done all the right things throughout my life, but even a stupid person knows that you can't keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results.

Looking for a job was not getting me a job. The odds were against me. There are too many unemployed people with good skills, education, and plenty of experience and, still, too few jobs to spread around. I thought if I could ride along in the second seat of a semi-truck, it would give me an opportunity to really learn what the job was about before I invested time and money into getting my Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and searching for a company willing to pay an over 40 year-old woman to drive for them. I would still have to pass a Department of Transportation (DOT) medical test also. I worried that age might be a barrier too. With so much to worry about, I was finding it difficult to prioritize what to worry about most.

So, with this in mind, I went to a local truck stop to interview some of the drivers. I was considering driving a semi-truck as a potential second career because my dad had been an over-the-road truck driver when I was young.

Once, during summer break from high school, my dad let me "ride along" with him when he was driving locally. Then, a few years later, he taught me some simple maneuvers like how to drive the tractor around a warehouse parking lot and dock the trailer so the warehouse men could unload it. That was how I had spent one Saturday afternoon.

So, on this particular Sunday afternoon, I rode the bus to the nearest truck stop in Denver. I stood out back and watched. I watched as the truck drivers carried their luggage and shower kit from their semi-truck through the back door reserved for "professional drivers" on their way to the 24-hour restaurant, the coin-operated laundry room or to purchase a $12-ticket for a private shower.

I watched as the drivers fueled their trucks. I watched them drive through the parking lot and back their big rig in a slot. A truck driver is judged, not by how fast he can drive on an interstate, but how smoothly he can back his trailer between two trucks. I watched the other drivers watch the other drivers.

Mostly, I was surprised by how many female drivers I saw climb out of the truck. I was encouraged to see them climb out of the driver's seat. I spoke to a few of the women as they headed towards the back door. I asked them questions about their jobs and the lifestyle that came with it.

Most of the women I spoke with were over-the-road (OTR) drivers which meant they drove long-distances, cross-country and, therefore, weren't home often. All of them were single; many of them traveled with a dog for companionship. One of the women traveled with a dog and two cats in her truck. She was an independent driver with her own truck. She drove "solo," she said, and preferred her animals to humans as companions. She had been driving for years and wouldn't go back to office work for love of money. That's pretty much what they all said.

As I stood and watched the truckers fuel their tractors, inspect their trailers and look for a parking spot for the night, I tried to imagine what it might be like being a professional semi-truck driver. I was hopeful that my limited understanding about the basics of semi-trucks and the trucking industry might give me an insight into a new industry where there might be a job available for an over 40 year-old, white female, with no children and no need to return to a home base to visit family or friends. This was my hope anyway.

I thought I might have discovered a new road to employment. I was expecting a new job which would allow me to work independently from the comforts of a semi-truck with a combination trailer complete with surround-sound stereo, a portable 24-inch flat-screen satellite television, a mid-sized refrigerator, a microwave and, of course, a full-size sleeper. What more could a girl want? There was even an on-board Global Positioning System (GPS) to help me map my way across the United States. With one touch, on the 7-inch touch-screen, I could locate the nearest rest stop, truck stop or my final destination.

The job was starting to sound ideal - especially considering my current situation.

It was a job that would allow me to see the countryside without having to pay for an airplane ticket or a Greyhound bus ticket. It was a job where I could eat, sleep and work in one vehicle. I could travel the country, with a paycheck in one hand and a steering wheel in the other. I wouldn't even have to go home to visit friends and family because after being unemployed for so long - I didn't have anything better to do. I could work day and night and pack my savings account with cash.

I closed my eyes as I tried to envision myself sitting in the driver's seat, enjoying the scenery, while listening to my favorite music as I traveled the countryside from one state to the other. I had noticed some of the newer models that one man called a "condo cab." He said they are called condo cabs because they are large and have almost as many amenities as a recreational vehicle. Some of the men told me that some of these interiors are custom designed and, of course, are really fine. I didn't get to see the inside of one though. I did speak with one female driver, however, who called her standard-size sleeper a "bedroom suite" because she liked it so much. She admitted to having it "out-fitted" in pink with goose-down pillows, a goose-down comforter, floor rugs and curtains to match.

The thought of driving a semi-truck with the interior decorated in pink was appealing to me. I was starting to get caught up in the decorating while trying to think about the actual job of driving. It was starting to work for me. I could combine my desire for the comforts of home with the need to earn a paycheck and I wouldn't even have to give up my laptop computer.

I also didn't anticipate any problems learning how to use the on-board, Global Positioning System (GPS). The on-board email system shouldn't present any major problems either. Half of my problems were solved. I just had to learn how to drive a semi-truck and, of course, get a license to do so. The thought of transporting about 80,000 pounds of cargo in an aluminum trailer during rain, hail, sleet and snow rarely occurred to me. I could drive by day and write by night. I thought this might be the perfect solution. I could solve two problems with one job. I could earn a paycheck by day and use my computer at night to freelance my writing career. The secret is in the decorating.

In addition to decorating my tractor-trailer combination vehicle in calm, soothing colors, I could have my name painted on the side and look really cool. Most of the tractors can be identified by the writing on the driver's door which identifies the owner or operator of each vehicle. Many drivers will have their name printed on the driver's door. Other drivers paint a favorite expression or scripture which usually complements the custom paint job. All vehicles are required to have custom numbers; however, these are supplied by DOT. It seems the Department of Transportation (DOT) insists on it. These numbers are always printed in black. I guess this is a regulation or something. But, that's okay, black goes with everything. It never clashes. Besides, it will make the big, black tires more noticeable and provide a more "grounded" look to the vehicle.

The newly designed, aerodynamic "scoop hood" and "scoop roof" are really cool too. Salesmen will tell you that they help the air flow over the tractor and trailer and, therefore, reduce wind drag and improve fuel mileage. I think they just did it because it looks cool and gives more head room inside the cab.

More headroom allows the trucker to actually stand inside the cab. More headroom also provides a nice open feeling to any space; which appealed to me and my sense of the outdoors. The additional space also allows the trucker to more easily open and close the refrigerator door while he watches satellite television on his new, 24-inch flat screen television, with a built-in DVD player.

Most truckers reported that they especially like the remote control which allows them to change television stations while sitting on the sleeper. This allows them to remain seated and, therefore, not have to stand or move to change the channel or insert a new disc.

The refrigerator is typically located next to the sleeper, which is also convenient. This allows the driver to open the refrigerator to grab a drink or a snack without getting up. Only a man would think to engineer the cab of a truck this way. Men live in their trucks the same way they live at home; food in one hand and the television remote in the other.

The Automated Power Unit (APU) was also considered by most truck drivers to be a popular feature. It is responsible for making all of these appliances and comforts works so easily in a semi-truck. The APU provides power to the refrigerator, microwave, lights and other electrical type things that make living in a truck more pleasurable. All of the truckers wanted an APU. The APU makes luxury happen.

The dashboard inside a semi-truck is cool too. It has a gauge for everything. The inside of these trucks look like the inside of an airplane. They have enough gauges to monitor almost everything on the truck or trailer. They have gauges to monitor fuel levels, oil levels, manifold pressure and even the gross weight of the cargo in the trailer.

State patrol inspectors are also fond of the weight gauges also. They especially like the weight gauges that they can monitor while sitting inside the "shack" at the port of entry. The state patrol can now monitor a semi-truck's front and rear axle weight "in-motion" as it passes the port-of-entry. Even the port-of-entry is automated these days. The highway department put scales underneath sections of the interstate which allows the state patrol to check the weight of the cargo as the semi-truck travels past the weight station. The truck drivers no longer have to stop at every port-of-entry when entering a new state; instead, they can just drive-by while the state patrol monitors the weight on a computer screen. If the cargo weight is too heavy, according to Federal regulations, the state patrol still gets to get in their cars, turn on a siren and chase the truck driver to give him a ticket. Some things haven't changed. The truckers watch the state patrol and the state patrol watches the truckers.

While riding in a semi-truck, I learned a lot about the trucking industry. I learned so much that I decided to get my CDL license so that I, too, could haul cargo across the country. It is a difficult job, but does have the primary benefit of not having a boss inside the cab. Having a boss inside the cab is similar to having a back-seat driver who wants to tell you how to drive. This is the benefit that promotes many truck drivers into becoming truck drivers. They get to control the truck, their routes and, if they deliver on-time, they get paid to drive. They also get to choose which radio station they prefer to listen to while they travel the countryside. It is important when choosing a trucker to ride with, that you choose someone with similar taste in music. This is very important.

I rode with one trucker for over two months and, according to his log, we logged over 10,000 miles in his semi-truck. I think I criss-crossed the United States five times during these two months. I enjoyed it.

Why You Should Pursue a Career in Commercial Truck Driving

Why should you pursue a career in commercial truck driving? That is a very good question. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will have enough valuable information to answer it yourself. So, why should anyone pursue a career in commercial truck driving? Let me start by giving you some fascinating statistics about the trucking industry.

Did you know that of all the modes of shipment in the commercial transportation industry, the trucking sector dominates the field with 83.7% of the revenue? The rail industry comes in at a distant second with only 5.6% of the total revenue. The air sector is third with 3.2%, and the oceanic freight sector is barely in the running with only 1.4% of all revenue being transported by ships. As you can see, the trucking industry isn't going away anytime soon. In fact, the trucking industry alone collects 650 billion dollars in annual revenue each year. That's 5% of the nation's GDP! The trucking industry also pays out 35 billion dollars in federal, state, and highway use taxes per year and will grow by 21% over the next ten years. Not many career fields can promise you such great job security without a four year college degree like the trucking industry can.

Speaking of job security, in May of 2013 there was an estimated 1.5 million heavy truck and tractor trailer drivers earning an average median salary of $38,700 a year, which calculates to roughly $18.61 an hour. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that truck drivers who were at the lower end of the pay scale still made $25,330 a year and truck drivers who were at the high end of the pay scale made $59,620 per year. How many other jobs can boast such a wide range of salaries without a four-year or two-year college degree? Not many. So, where are more truck drivers employed than anywhere else? Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Illinois. The state of Texas hired 157, 260 truckers in 2013 while Illinois employed an estimated 66,050 truck drivers. But, don't think you will have to relocate to one of these five states in order to find a decent truck driving job. The entire east coast is full of states that have an average 40,210 to 157,260 working truck drivers. If you're looking for the states with the highest concentration of truck driving jobs in the U.S. look no further. North Dakota boasts 15,310 trucking jobs with an average median salary of $47,580 while Arkansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Wyoming follow closely. Truck drivers in Alaska have the highest median salary at $53,440, while truckers in North Dakota, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, and Wyoming make an average $47,000 a year. If you were to look at a map of the United States showing the areas where the most truck drivers are employed, you would see that truck drivers are heavily employed from Texas all the way over to Pennsylvania and Florida, and all the way up to Michigan. Califonia and the Pacific Northwest also employ many truck drivers. Which areas have the least amount of working truck drivers? The midwestern states. That is why truck drivers in these states make more per year. Here's one more thing to consider. U.S. intracontinental truck driving jobs cannot be outsourced.

Here are some more fascinating facts about truckers. The total distance traveled by truck drivers per year is 93.5 million highway miles? To put that in perspective, that's 256,197,260 miles per day, 2,965 milers per second, and 3.7 million times around the earth or 195,713 round trips to the moon! That's a lot of truckin'! Of course, with all those miles it would be nice to get good gas mileage. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. On average, long haul trukcs can carry 300 gallons of fuel, but can only travel eight miles per gallon. That's about 6.8 gallons of fuel an hour at 55 miles per hour. That means it would take a class 8 tractor trailer 44 hours and 347 gallons of fuel to travel from Los Angeles to New York City. Of course, with a 300 gallon fuel tank, you would only have to stop for gas one time. With all those miles to travel, one of the perks of long haul truck driving is being able to see the beauty and splendor of the United States countryside and getting paid to do so!

Now that you know just how important the trucking industry is to the U.S. economy, how much the average truck driver makes a year, and how many total miles truck drivers travel on average per year, I want to end this article with one last statistic. The value of shipped goods that the commercial trucking industry transports per year is $139,463,000,000. That's $382,090,411 per day and $4,422 per second! That is how valuable the trucking industry and the truck drivers themselves are to the citizens of the United States. Think about this, if you will. Almost every facet of our economy is dependent upon the trucking industry, from food to fuel, medicine to machinery, cars to clothing, and construction to manufacturing, they are all delivered and dependent upon the commercial trucking industry. To put it another way, if it wasn't for truck drivers, you wouldn't have a bed to sleep on, soap and shampoo to clean yourself with, clothes to get dressed in, food to eat for breakfast, a toothbrush and toothpaste to brush your teeth with, a car to drive to work in, gas to fuel that car, a computer to work on, food to eat for lunch, a car to drive back home in, a refrigerator, stove and microwave to store and cook dinner with, plates and utensils and a table to eat on, chairs to sit on, and a television to watch the game on while you sit in your sofa and drink your ice cold beer that was transported by truck drivers. Of course, I left a lot of stuff out but, you get the picture. Oh, I almost forgot, you wouldn't have a house to live in either, unless it was made out of something other than bricks, concrete, wood, metal, or stone. Remember, if you bought it, a truck brought it.

So, back to the original question. Why should you pursue a career in commercial truck driving? Well, now that you know how important the commercial trucking industry is to the U.S. economy, how good the job market is, and how much truck drivers can make without a college degree, maybe the real question you should be asking yourself is, "why shouldn't I pursue a career in commercial truck driving?". That's a question that only you can answer. If you do decide that you want to pursue a career in commercial truck driving, getting the proper training is your first step. Not only is the commercial truck driving job market ripe with possibilities, the steps you have to take to enter the job market are easier than you might think. To be certified to operate a commercial motor vehicle, all you need is a commercial drivers license, adequate physical health, and the ability to operate a commercial motor vehicle. That's it. Of course, getting your CDL is a whole different story. It takes specialized knowledge and training to pass the required tests, and that training is usually obtained at a private or company-sponsored truck driving school. Most truck driving schools will give you the CDL training you need to pass the required CDL tests and obtain your commercial drivers license within a few months.

Truck Wash Business Case Study

Often smart entrepreneurs look for out of the way businesses, things out of the mainstream but businesses, which have a good customer base and steady incomes. This is an extremely interesting story. I had always considered the mobile truck washing efforts to be very profitable and believed that fixed truck washes were a big waste of money. That was until one year when a new franchisee joined our team from Oklahoma City. I run a franchise company called the Car Turns out the franchisee was formerly employed by Blue Beacon Truck Washes the largest chain of truck washes in the US. They do about $138,000,000 per year with 80 truck washes and the company is very closely held. Tim our franchisee was a truck manager for them and before buying into our franchise and started washing cars in OKC even though he knows truck washing best. He had a two-year non-compete with his old company, which we have honored in OKC. He has tons of experience and had indicated to me that the business is sound and we should really get into it. Later that year I sold a franchise to a person in WA State who owned car washes (5) and he made a deal with a truck stop on an Indian Reservation, he never started the plan, but the numbers we ran on the spreadsheet looked great and very profitable.

Even as a serial entrepreneur, I had never considered the fixed site truck wash business, as the mobile truck wash business seemed so much more efficient and so little . So even with all this knowledge on the team we still did not enter that market. One of our competitors in the car washing industry bought up two
truck washing chains for a total of fourteen truck washes and proclaimed it more profitable than his other car washes by 5 times as much money. They now own nearly 100 locations of truck and car washes nationwide. After looking into it some more a franchise buyer who owned Fuel MAN, an East coast Fuel Card for fleet owners approached us in South Carolina to use the Truck Wash Guys name and develop a truck wash mid state. At that point we decided to start working on the details. Then a franchisee in OH made a deal with a truck stop between Columbus OH and Pittsburgh, to operate a 24 hour truck wash and de-ice business. He thought how easy this is and now so we have made deal in WV at a truck wash as well. Our Ohio Franchisee at the time took on another partner in WV.

Still reluctant to fully dive into the subcategory of full service truck washes we found our Ohio Franchisee going full guns to put together a deal with Pilot Truck Stops. Pilot Truck Stop has the most Truck Stops on the Planet and sells 8% of all the diesel fuel in the United States. So we planned a pilot program at pilot. Our temporary set up is a trailer unit, which sits at the truck stops and washes made sense. We then worked on plans for a building to submit them to the Building dept. for approval, meanwhile the deals in
OH and WV and SC were suddenly in the works. We figured if our deal with the truck stops worked well, the Truck Stops will get more traffic and fuel sales while we generate
revenue and a percentage of the total take for the truck stop for the privilege of working there. We are so use to washing trucks and have on our team a gentleman who sells simonize truck wash and has been in the car washing and pressure washing equipment business for 20 years. By using the fuel man fuel cards as currency on the east coast and name recognition of Pilot we figured we could move into this industry and pick up the slack.

There is a shortage of truck washes across the country and also a shortage of oil change facilities for trucks. A franchisee could be trained by our truck wash prototypes and probably on the top performing franchisee in our mobile truck wash
division; then quickly set up in their own markets. Pressure Washing companies which specialize in fleet truck washing should in fact consider this type of strategy for moving into the fixed site truck washing business.

If you study entrepreneurial companies you will in fact see that many companies fall into markets due to opportunities which present themselves, it is amazing the opportunities which exist out there and how fast companies can grow when they can handle the demand of those markets. Think on this.

Driver Team Solo Positions: The Nitty Gritty On Truck Driving Jobs

Trucks and truck drivers are a constant presence on US highways and interstates. A person on even the shortest drive is likely to pass by a truck or two transporting goods, and even merchandise that travels by ship, train, or airplane travels on a truck for some phase of the journey to the customer. Because trucks are such a major part of industry, truck driving jobs are important positions and good paying jobs.

Truck drivers have many responsibilities. Before leaving the terminal or warehouse, truck drivers make routine checks of their vehicles, checking fuel and oil levels. They inspect the tires, brakes, and windshield wipers, and make sure that all safety equipment is loaded and functional. They report any problems to the dispatcher, who keeps track of all of these small details. Once they start driving, truck drivers must be constantly alert. They can see quite a long distance along the highway because they sit higher than most other vehicles. This puts them in a position of power on the road, as well as heightened responsibility.

Delivery requirements vary according to the type of merchandise, the driving assignment, and the final destination. Local drivers provide daily service along a specific route, while other drivers must make intercity and interstate deliveries based on specific orders. The driver's responsibilities and salary change based on the time spent on the road, the type of product transported, and vehicle size.

New technologies are revolutionizing the way that truck drivers work. Long distance truck drivers now have satellites and global positioning systems (GPS) to link them with company headquarters. Information, directions, and weather reports can be delivered to the truck instantly no matter where it is. Company headquarters can track the truck's location, fuel consumption, and engine performance. Inventory tracking equipment is now computerized, allowing the producer, warehouse, and customer to all check in on the products on the road. New technology is making truck driving an easier job, as seats become more comfortable, trucks have better ventilation, and cabs are better designed.

Some routes are very, very long, and these usually employ heavy truck or tractor-trailer drivers. On the longest routes, companies will hire two drivers for sleeper runs. Sleeper runs can last from days to weeks and the truck only stops for fuel, food, loading and unloading. The drivers switch off driving and sleeping in the truck.

Truck driving can be a demanding job. Some self-employed long-distance truck drivers who own and operate their own trucks spend most of the year away from home. The government restricts long distance drivers to no more than 60 hours a week as well as requiring 10 hours rest for every 11 hours driving. Many drivers work very close to this max time permitted because they are compensated according to the number of miles or hours they've put in. The difficulty of truck driving is well compensated, which makes it a popular job. In 2002, there were 3.2 million truck drivers.

Many trucking operations have higher standards than the Federal minimum requirements. Drivers are often required to be at least 22 years old, able to lift heavy objects, and have 3-5 years driving experience. Companies want to hire good drivers who work efficiently and cost less to insure. They like drivers who have enrolled in driver-training courses. New drivers might begin on small straight trucks and graduate to larger trucks and finally to tractor-trailers. A few truck drivers advance high enough to become dispatchers, managers, or traffic workers.

Heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers earned an average of $16 per hour in 2002. The highest 10% of this group earned more than $24 an hour. Driving a truck is a great career with lots of room for promotion and advancement. After moving all the way up the chain of promotion within a company, truck drivers often strike out on their own and open successful transport businesses.

Truck Seat Covers For Monster Protection

If you want some hard action when driving, trucks are the most appropriate vehicles. Of course, if you want to protect your truck's car seats, you will need more than just ordinary seat covers. What you need is a seat cover that is equally strong and reliable like its user - truck seat covers. Truck seat covers provide optimum protection to your upholsteries and renders advantages in many ways.

1. Creativity

Truck seat covers give your truck a distinctive display or design. This can either illuminate your truck's interior design or amplify its contents!

2. Protection

What could be more important in driving your monster truck but to protect it so as to keep it in top shape? Truck seat covers are ergonomically designed to render utmost protection against harmful elements that may trigger your upholsteries deterioration. Plus, if your seats are already destroyed or have holes in them, a seat cover can effectively hide those unsightly aspects of your seats and at the same time provide optimal comfort.

3. Normal Wear And Tear

Trucks are like SUVs or Family Sedans - the whole family can be accommodated, trucks are most often used in camping, picnics, and other vigorous activities because they can carry more load compared with what SUVs and cars can do. And so, because of increased exposure to a lot of elements brought about by different activities, trucks are vulnerable to a lot of harmful elements that mat destroy the seats like:

Moisture.

Whether your family went swimming, surfing, or even mountain climbing or strolling, the moisture left in your clothes can have great effects on your truck's upholstery. Generally, most truck's upholstery is made up of leather. And we all know for a fact that leathers hate waters. It is their number one enemy. And so, protecting them with truck seat covers against moisture will provide a longer life span for your truck upholstery.

Friction

No one would ever think that the actual activity of getting in and out of the truck can put more pressure upon the seats. And the friction that is initiated by merely rubbing against your truck's upholstery is enough to damage your seats. You will only see the effects as time wears it out. And so, the most feasible way to avoid such spoilage is to cover up them up with truck seat covers. It will provide enough barriers against you and your upholstery.

Ultraviolet destruction

What you thought is only harmful to the skin is equally damaging to your truck's upholstery. Because upholsteries are made up of leather, they are vulnerable to sun damage because the ultraviolet rays of the suns dries out the oils present in the leather seats. Without these lubricants, the upholstery may dry out and eventually will crack. So, to avoid this kind of problem, it is best to cover your truck's upholstery with truck seat covers.

Unavoidable accidents.

We all know for a fact that accidents do happen and they are really unavoidable. Such case applies to your truck's upholstery. Without the protection that truck seat covers can bring, your upholstery is doomed to accidents like spills, oily stuffs from potato chips, pet's dung, and other dirty elements. But if you have your upholstery covered up with nice sets of truck seat covers, you can be assured of stain-free truck seats ahead.

4. Different Kinds of Truck Seat Covers

Truck seat covers vary with different colors and designs. But what makes it more appropriate protection for your truck seats is that it is available in three different fittings, individually capable of providing you the kinds of fitting that you want.

Semi-custom fittings

Among the three truck seat covers, semi-custom fit is the most common among truck owners. This is because most trucks have different huge seats that typical fittings cannot be accommodated. And so, with a combination of custom-made and a little patterned design, semi-custom fit is the ideal truck seat covers for every truck users.

2. Custom seat

These are exclusively tailor-made just for your truck's seats. In making these seat covers, careful considerations where given to every details of your seats. That is why custom fittings are more expensive than the other two.

3. Ultimate fit covers.

The last type of fittings in trucks is the Ultimate Seat covers. It is made up of original automotive grade fabric that is specially designed to give the truck's upholstery utmost protection.