Do you drive a truck with a crimson red paint scheme? If so, look no further than Alabama to begin or enter a new phase of your driving career! Trucking dominates the Alabama transportation industry, moving 75% of freight into, out of, and through the state. Alabama has one major port, the Port of Mobile where drivers haul exports including automobiles, airplanes, and fuel. And if you like your Saturdays off, you unlikely to find a state where your supervisors might accommodate you. After all, come autumn every Saturday through the NCAA National Championship is an unofficial state holiday with college football consuming the state.
Geographic Advantages
Alabama’s location in the Deep South along the Gulf of Mexico makes it an attractive base for carriers and, in turn, truck drivers and truck driving jobs. The trucking industry plays a critical role in the Alabama economy. The trucking industry in Alabama has maintained strong growth, largely because so many Alabamans rely on trucking to deliver products to rural communities. The role Alabama’s offshore oil drilling plays in the state’s economy helps fuel an active trucking industry and demand for those to fill truck driving jobs.
Bordering State/Countries
Alabama borders Mississippi to the west, Georgia to the east, and Tennessee to the north. All three states have infrastructure in place to handle trucks driving into and out of Alabama.
Products Moved by Trucks
Whether they are exported out of state, out of the country, or simply remain in the state for the use of Alabamans, according to the latest data from World’s Top Exports, the following are the primary products moved by truck drivers and offering many truck driving jobs to those calling Alabama home: Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine); Aircraft including engines, parts; Large automobiles (diesel engine); Coal (non-agglomerated, bituminous; Large automobiles (piston engine); Mid-sized automobiles (diesel engine); Large spark-ignition engines; Chemical wood pulp; Polycarbonates; Miscellaneous petroleum oils.
Alabama’s Deep-Water Ports
Alabama’s only deep-water port is the Port of Mobile. Situated in Mobile Bay with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Mobile is an important shipbuilding site and exporter of commercial products, particularly cotton, timber, and coal.
Alabama’s Highways
Alabama’s interstate system provides direct routes across the south, including two interstates allowing Alabama truck drivers to cross virtually the entire nation east-west. Likewise, its interstates offer direct access to Tennessee and I-40, a major route between the east coast and California. Primary interstate highway with Alabama’s boundaries include:
I-10 between Florida and Mississippi
I-20 between Mississippi and Georgia
I-22 Mississippi state line to Birmingham
I-59 Mississippi to Georgia
I-65 Mobile to Tennessee state line (Ardmore)
I-85 Montgomery to Georgia (Lanett)
Auxiliary interstates around larger cities
For more information on Alabama and its truck driver jobs, visit: www.alabamatrucking.org