Every business and industry has its own terminology. The trucking industry is no different. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of jargon in truck driving that can be confusing to the newcomer. Even worse, sometimes the exact same term can have different meanings depending on the company you are working with.
One area that we get a lot of questions about is the difference between routes. These are basic truck route terms and definitions as CRST uses them:
Regular/Dedicated Routes
These are routes where drivers only drive one particular route or for the same customer within a defined geographical area. Keep in mind that this can change. For instance, you may drive the same route each time for different customers, or you may be dedicated to one customer but drive whatever route that customer needs, usually within the same basic region. Regular or dedicated routes usually offer shorter routes with regular home time.
Irregular Routes/OTR Routes
Irregular routes are usually longer hauls, and like the name implies, do not follow a regular schedule. In fact, these loads will take you all across the country usually requiring you to be on the road for weeks at a time. They call these irregular routes because OTR truckers will drive to different places without a set schedule, customer or route. These drivers generally have the least home time but they tend to make more money. It’s common for new truck drivers to break into the business with irregular routes in order to gain experience, then graduate to dedicated or regular routes if they prefer more home time.
Regional Routes
These are routes where drivers only service one particular route or company in a given region of the country. For example, a driver could drive a 4 state region in the Midwest or cover several states up and down the Eastern seaboard. Regional driving jobs are very similar to OTR truck driving jobs but they usually have firmer schedules. Routes will travel anywhere within the region and drivers may be on the road for long periods, with more limited home time than dedicated drivers.
Local Routes
Local drivers work only within the limits of their local areas. These areas may include crossing state lines, but drivers usually return home daily.
If you still aren’t sure if you’ve got the lingo down, and want to hear more about the trucking industry, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask one of our recruiters any questions you may have.
At CRST Dedicated, you’ll learn everything you ever need to know about the truck driving industry. One of the ways we keep that promise is by offering the best training in the industry. All of our drivers go through a thorough orientation process to make sure they are ready to hit the road, including account-specific training as necessary. Once you’re on the road, we will continually work with you throughout your career to keep you on top of your game.
There are plenty of other questions to ask based on the type of trucking job you’re looking for and we’ve got answers. If you have questions about our available dedicated routes, visit our jobs board to see what’s open in your area. Then, call our CRST Dedicated recruiting hotline: 866-325-2778.
