Looking for variety? Consider what Oregon has to offer in terms of geography alone — volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, high deserts, and semi-arid shrublands. Not only that the Columbia and Snake Rivers are navigable and provide a seagoing port to Idaho! Talk about doing your neighbor a favor. That’s a seaport 375 miles inland from the nearest sea! In terms of industry and by default products truck drivers in Oregon are apt to haul, the state is the largest producer of timber in the country and is a leader in technology and a certain well-known brand of sports footwear. But if you are a Oregon truck driver, plan on spending a lot of time driving to and from one of the largest ports on the west coast, aptly named Portland. It’s true that there aren’t many states where you need to worry about a volcanic ash storm, but if you’ve lived through one like Mt. Saint Helens, the worst is over. The volcanic storm your neighbor to the north offered 40 years back ought to be a once in a lifetime event. Then again, others say the volcanic dome is quickly building and a similar eruption is coming soon. If so, imagine the money to be made hauling a knee-deep blanket of volcanic ash to wherever volcanic ash is hauled!
Geographic Advantages
Oregon’s location on the upper west coast offer ideal climate conditions for growing timber as well as shipping it resources and product to California and it many ports or eastward across the U.S.
Bordering State/Countries
Oregon is bordered to the east by Idaho, to the south by California and Nevada, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, and to the north by Washington.
Oregon’s Deep-Water Ports
Oregon has numerous ports both along the coast and inland. The largest include Portland and Coos Bay, while several are located along the Washington Border and accessible via the Columbia River.
Products Moved by Trucks
Whether they are exported out of state, out of the country, or simply remain in the state for use in-state, according to the latest data from World’s Top Exports, the following are the primary products moved by truck drivers and offering truck driving jobs to those calling Oregon home:
- Integrated circuits (processors/controllers)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors
- Digital processing units (individual components)
- Potassium chloride
- Semi-trailer truck tractors
- Aircraft including engines, parts
- Semi-conductor machinery parts, accessories
- Wheat (excluding durum)
- Footwear removable insoles, heel cushions
- Immunological products
Oregon’s Highways
Oregon has over 160,000 lane miles of roadway offers truck drivers many routes across and throughout the state. About 1,100 miles of these roadways are included in Oregon’s interstate system including the following:
I-5 between California and Washington
I-80 N between Portland and the Idaho state line (southern route)
I-82 from the Washington state line to Umatilla County
I-84 between Portland and Idaho state line (northern route)
For more information on Oregon and its truck driver jobs, visit: www.ortrucking.org