The shipping paper listing the freight, its shipper, and its receiver.
It is your receipt, your contract, and your proof of what you loaded. Count the freight and note any damage before you sign at pickup and at delivery. For hazmat, the bill of lading can serve as the shipping paper.
On the test
Appears mostly in hazmat questions as one kind of shipping paper; at work you will handle a bill of lading on every load.
Appears in 2 test questions
See 1 question on the HazMat testDoes not mean: Not the proof of delivery (POD); the POD is the copy signed by the receiver after unloading.
Example: At the dock you count 22 pallets, write '2 damaged' on the bill of lading, and sign.
Also called: BOL, bills of lading
The receiver's signed confirmation that the freight arrived.
Usually it is the bill of lading signed and stamped at delivery. Photograph it and send it to dispatch right away; a lost POD delays everyone's paperwork.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work from dispatch and brokers.
Example: After unloading, the receiver signs the paperwork; you photograph the POD and upload it from your phone.
Also called: POD
A paid warehouse worker who unloads or loads your trailer.
Lumpers work for a service company, not for the shipper, carrier, or receiver. The driver often pays the lumper up front and the carrier reimburses it. Unloading it yourself instead is a real injury risk.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work, mostly at grocery and retail warehouses.
Example: At the grocery warehouse the receiver says you must use a lumper; you call dispatch for a payment code before unloading starts.
Also called: lumper fee, lumpers
Dock waiting time beyond the free time for loading or unloading.
Detention pay is money for that waiting, when the contract includes it. Waiting counts against your on-duty clock, so long waits also cost you driving time. Record your arrival and departure times.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work when dock waits run long.
Example: You arrive on time but the dock takes five hours; you note the times so the carrier can bill detention.
Also called: detention pay
A forced wait between loads, often overnight.
Many carriers pay a flat layover amount for each day you wait, but only if the contract says so. Ask how layover is counted before you sign on.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work and in job offers.
Example: You deliver on Friday evening and the next load is Monday morning; you spend the weekend on layover at a truck stop.
Driving an empty trailer, or none, to the next load.
Some carriers pay deadhead miles, some pay less for them, some not at all. An empty trailer also handles differently: it bounces more and the wheels lock up more easily.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test by name, though questions ask how empty trailers brake; at work dispatch quotes deadhead miles.
Example: You unload in Denver and the next pickup is 150 miles away; you deadhead there with an empty trailer.
Also called: deadheading
A tractor driven without a trailer attached.
Without the trailer's weight on the drive axles, a bobtail has little traction and can take longer to stop than a loaded rig. Brake gently and leave extra room.
Does not mean: Not a short trailer or a kind of truck; it describes the tractor alone.
Example: After dropping your trailer at the yard, you bobtail to the fuel stop and brake early at every light.
Diagram coming
Also called: bobtailing, bobtail (tractor without trailer)
A refrigerated trailer with its own cooling unit.
The reefer unit runs on its own diesel tank and must be set to the temperature on the paperwork. Hanging meat in a reefer is a high, unstable load; slow down on curves and ramps.
On the test
Not named on the test, but questions ask about hanging meat in a refrigerated truck as an unstable load with a high center of gravity.
Does not mean: In trucking it is a trailer, not slang for cannabis.
Example: The rate confirmation says 'reefer, 34°F continuous'; you set the unit and check its fuel before leaving.
Diagram coming
Also called: refrigerated trailer
A closed box trailer without temperature control, for general freight.
The most common trailer on US highways. It protects freight from weather and theft but still needs blocking or bracing inside so cargo cannot shift.
Example: Your first job is pulling a 53-foot dry van of paper products between warehouses.
Diagram coming
An open, flat trailer with no sides or roof.
Everything on a flatbed must be tied down because nothing else holds it. Flatbed loads catch crosswinds and need a minimum number of tie-downs based on length.
Example: You haul steel coils on a flatbed; you chain them, tarp them, and recheck the chains after the first miles.
Diagram coming
Also called: flatbed trailer
Swapping your trailer for another at the customer, with no dock wait.
Fast, because nobody unloads while you wait. You still do a full coupling check and inspect the new trailer, its tires, lights, and brakes before leaving.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test by name, but coupling and uncoupling steps are tested in detail; you will hear it in job ads.
Example: You drop the loaded trailer in door 12, find your empty in the yard, hook up, and leave in twenty minutes.
Loading or unloading that you wait for at the dock.
The opposite of drop and hook. It can take hours, and waiting time counts as on-duty, so detention rules matter.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work and in job offers.
Example: The load is a live unload at a grocery warehouse; you back into the door and wait while they empty the trailer.
Also called: live unload
The carrier's person who assigns your loads and takes your calls.
Your dispatcher gives you pickup and delivery times and route instructions. Call dispatch when you are delayed, have a breakdown, or find a problem with hazmat papers or placards.
On the test
Questions ask whom to contact about hazmat route permits, emergencies, or missing placards; the dispatcher is often one of the options.
Appears in 12 test questions
See 2 questions on the HazMat testDoes not mean: Dispatch cannot authorize you to break a rule, such as hauling placarded hazmat without the endorsement.
Example: A tire blows on the interstate; after setting out your triangles, you call your dispatcher to report it.
Also called: dispatch
A licensed middleman who arranges loads between shippers and carriers.
The broker keeps part of what the shipper pays and passes the rest to the carrier. Owner-operators deal with brokers directly; company drivers usually go through dispatch.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work, especially if you run your own authority.
Does not mean: Not a dispatcher: a broker represents the shipper's load, not your truck.
Example: A broker calls with a load from the load board; the rate confirmation he sends is the contract for that haul.
Also called: broker
An online marketplace where loads and available trucks are posted.
Mostly used by owner-operators and small carriers to find the next load. Rates there change daily with supply and demand.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work from owner-operators and brokers.
Example: Empty in Atlanta, you search the load board for freight heading toward home.
A driver who runs their own truck as a business.
You pay for fuel, repairs, insurance, and taxes yourself. Many owner-operators lease onto a carrier and pay it a share of every load for the use of its authority. Compare your cost per mile, not just the rate per mile.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; the manual mentions independent truckers only in passing, for hazmat route planning.
Does not mean: Not the same as lease-purchase, where the carrier controls the truck lease and deducts payments from your settlements.
Example: After three years as a company driver, she buys a used tractor and leases it onto a carrier as an owner-operator.
Leasing a truck from a carrier, with payments deducted from your settlements.
The payment comes out even in weeks with little freight. Read the whole contract: who controls repairs, what happens if you quit, and whether escrow money is refundable. A researcher who studied these programs did not find a driver who had completed one.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it from recruiters, who often pitch it to new drivers.
Does not mean: Not ownership: until the final payment the carrier or its leasing company owns the truck.
Example: A recruiter offers a lease-purchase truck with no money down; you ask for the full contract and take it home to read.
A daily allowance for meals and expenses while away from home.
Latin for 'per day'. Some carriers reclassify part of your pay as per diem: more take-home now, but lower taxable wages, which can lower future Social Security benefits. Ask how it is calculated.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will see it in job offers and on pay stubs.
Example: Your pay stub shows a lower mileage rate plus a per diem line for each night you were out.
Long-haul trucking across many states, away from home for weeks.
Most new drivers start OTR because that is where most entry-level jobs are. You live in the sleeper berth and plan your days around the hours of service (HOS) rules.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; the test's hours of service and fatigue questions describe the OTR life without naming it.
Example: Your first OTR job keeps you out for three weeks, then home for four days.
Also called: OTR
Trucking within one region, with home time every week or two.
A middle option between OTR and local. Routes repeat, so you learn the roads, shippers, and weigh stations.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will see it in job ads.
Example: A regional job runs the Southeast only, and you are home every weekend.
Trucking within one city or area, home every night.
Often paid by the hour, with many stops and more city driving and backing. On the test, 'local' usually means local laws and limits, not this job type.
On the test
The test uses 'local' for local laws, speed limits, and authorities; the job type itself is not tested.
Does not mean: In test questions, 'local' refers to city or county rules ('federal, state, and local'), not to local driving jobs.
Example: A local job delivers to stores around Chicago all day, and you park the truck at the terminal each evening.
A job hauling for one customer on a set, predictable schedule.
Same shippers, same roads, same days. Less variety, but you know your home time in advance.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will see it in job ads.
Example: A dedicated account hauls for one retailer between its warehouse and its stores on a weekly loop.
Two drivers sharing one truck, one driving while the other rests.
Teams cover far more miles than a solo driver, which is why carriers use them for urgent freight. For many new drivers, the first weeks after school with a trainer turn into team driving. Ask who your partner will be and how to change partners.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; the sleeper berth rules you learn there are what make team driving work.
Example: Your co-driver sleeps in the berth while you drive the night shift, then you swap at a truck stop.
Also called: team driver
The business that sends the freight and prepares its paperwork.
For hazmat, the shipper packages the material, puts hazard labels on packages, prepares the shipping papers, and supplies placards. The driver checks that work before leaving.
On the test
Hazmat questions ask who is responsible for each step: packaging, labeling, shipping papers, the emergency number, and placards.
Appears in 57 test questions
See 39 questions on the HazMat testDoes not mean: Not the carrier: the shipper owns and prepares the goods; the carrier moves them.
Example: A chemical plant is the shipper; its staff hand you the shipping papers and the placards for your trailer.
Also called: consignor
The business or person the freight is delivered to; the consignee.
The receiver signs for the load, and that signature becomes your proof of delivery. For hazardous waste, the manifest is signed at delivery too, and you keep a copy.
On the test
Hazmat questions ask who signs for hazardous waste and where a placarded vehicle may be parked or left unattended.
Appears in 15 test questions
See 13 questions on the HazMat testExample: The receiver's clerk checks the pallets, signs the bill of lading, and you keep your copy.
Also called: consignee
A load that takes you back toward home after a delivery.
Headhaul is the busy direction; backhaul is the return trip, so rates are usually lower. A backhaul still beats deadheading home empty.
On the test
Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work from dispatch and brokers.
Example: After delivering in Florida, dispatch finds a backhaul of citrus heading north toward your terminal.
