Dump Truck Driver Jobs

Remember when you were a kid and you were always playing around in the yard with your friends, using your trucks to make little roads and dumping piles of pebbles to make better highways? That could be one of the reasons you’ve always wanted to drive a dump truck.

Being responsible for hauling and dumping materials for construction or helping to clear away the heavy snows in the wintertime is a very attractive way to make a living driving a truck. Dump truck drivers can either work for a trucking or construction company or even be on a municipal payroll, helping with municipal work projects. Many dump truck drivers who own their own vehicle often rent themselves and their vehicles out to construction companies so that the companies don’t have to keep a fleet of dump trucks on loan or lease to handle dump truck projects. This is known as being a freelance dump truck operator and is a very popular way for drivers with their own trucks to make a living and pay off the cost of their dump truck.

For many drivers, learning to drive a dump truck comes very easily. If you want to learn to drive a dump truck you can arrange to have a trucking or construction company train you on the job, allowing you to get behind the wheel on smaller jobs to get the feel for the vehicle. Because a dump truck usually works alongside other large pieces of machinery, it’s important for the driver to become aware
of the proximity of these loaders, backhoes and other vehicles on the work site. Dump trucks aren’t really made for speed; they’re more the workhorse of the trucking industry and as such, dump truck drivers usually work within a set area. It’s uncommon for dump trucks to be out on the highway when transporting their loads. Most of a dump truck driver’s duties are on a work site or construction project area. Qualified dump truck drivers can earn anywhere from $29,000 to $42,000 annually, depending on experience and the company and area of the country you’re working in. Dump truck drivers who can also operate heavy machinery will find it much easier to find work with any construction company.