Love of the Road Keeps Him Truckin’

Doug Cruz, 47, took his first truck-driving job 25 years ago to earn money for college. But by the time he completed his degree, he was burned out on school.

“I wanted to be out on the road, and driving a truck paid well and the benefits were good,” said Cruz, who originally wanted to be a football coach. “I stayed on and sooner or later, I had been driving for five years, and then 10 years and so on. It’s a good living.”

Cruz, who drives for Food 4 Less Supermarkets in La Habra, begins his day at 4:30 a.m. at the company’s Los Angeles warehouse. Workers load the truck and Cruz performs a safety check. Then he heads out to make his first delivery at one of several Orange County stores on his route.

“The safety check is very important, because the company gives you the option of not leaving the yard if you think the load is unsafe. If something bad happened on the road, and you could have spotted the problem in advance, then you’d have only yourself to blame,” Cruz said.

Depending on demand, Cruz hauls general merchandise and produce to two to four stores per day. That means as many as three round trips from Los Angeles to Orange County. “It’s hard when the traffic is heavy and I have lots of trips to make,” said Cruz. “I have to be alert and watch for the other guy, since I’m hauling about 85,000 pounds of equipment and need space the size of a football field to stop. People forget that and make dangerous moves in front of you.”

Cruz, whose workday ends at 1:30 p.m., prefers local hauls and daytime hours to out-of-state runs that keep drivers away from home overnight. “That’s a different kind of life. I’m really lucky to have worked days most of my career. However, some guys prefer working nights when the traffic is lighter. I have good pay and benefits. I get lots of overtime, especially during holidays.”

Cruz advises beginning truck drivers to avoid working for companies that bend the rules and push drivers to the limit. “There are lots of non-union truck-driving jobs out there where drivers end up spending too many hours on the road without sleep, just to get the loads in on time. It’s not safe,” he cautioned. “Also, it’s harder to get full-time truck-driving jobs these days, since many companies are only hiring part-time drivers. But you just have to keep trying.”

OCCUPATION: Truck driver

* What’s involved: Transporting goods from point to point. Size and type of vehicle depends on amount and type of cargo. Some drive large moving vans on cross-country trips. Others haul products from warehouses to retail outlets in surrounding communities.

* Qualifications: Driving large tractor-trailer rigs requires a Class A license. This involves several hours of training, including instruction in traffic laws, weight and safety regulations and the physical operation of the rig. Drivers must pass written and driving tests administered by the DMV. A physical exam, including drug test, is required. License must be renewed every four years and physical exam must be repeated every two years.

* Outlook: By 1998, the number of truck drivers is projected to increase by 7.4% to 7,140.

* Salary range: $8-$17 per hour

* Pros: Work is performed outside an office environment, away from constant supervision. Often involves a variety of destinations, including out of state. Many truck-driving jobs are unionized and provide paid medical and retirement plans.

* Cons: Long hauls and overnight stays can be disruptive to family life, and are often more popular with young, single drivers. Shorter trips on crowded freeways and surface streets can be stressful, because drivers must meet delivery schedules.

* Advancement: Drivers may become dispatchers, schedulers, routers or supervisors. Some advance to administrative positions, such as transportation director.

* Quote: “I like being out on the road and talking with people at the stores on my route. It’s a good living.”--Doug Cruz, truck driver, Food 4 Less Supermarkets

Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times