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Truck Transportation Merit Badge
All merit badges
Truck Transportation merit badge

Truck Transportation

TransportationTrades
2006 requirements, effective January 1, 2006
View on scouting.org

Requirements

NOTE: The official merit badge pamphlets are now free and downloadable HERE or can be purchased at the Scout Shop.
1.
List the major truck lines serving your town.
Resource: Search Trucking Companies - Find Carriers By City And State (website)
2.
Do the following:
(a)
Describe the role of truck transportation within commerce (the movement of goods, funds, and information).
Resource: 10 Advantages of Road Transport (video)
(b)
(c)
On paper, map out how goods that are manufactured overseas are transported to a retailer in this country.
Resource: Global Supply Chain Management Explained: Key Players, Risks & Incoterms (video)
3.
Describe the difference between the gasoline engine and the diesel engine that power trucks. List the advantages of each.
Resource: Diesel vs. Gasoline Engines: Key Differences Explained (video)
4.
Visit a truck terminal and complete items 4(a) through 4(e). After your visit, share what you have learned with your counselor.
(a)
Find out what kind of maintenance program the company follows to help keep its fleet, drivers, and the roadway safe.
Resources: How To Properly Maintain Fleets? (video)
How Trucking Companies Manage Fleet Maintenance Effectively | Part 1 (video)
How Trucking Companies Manage Fleet Maintenance Effectively | Part 2 (video)
(b)
Find out how dispatchers maintain communication with drivers on the road.
Resource: Communication with Dispatch (video)
(c)
Talk with a professional truck driver about safety. Learn about the truck driver's rules of the road for safe driving. List five safe-driving rules every professional truck driver must follow.
Resources: Top 6 Safety Tips for Truck Drivers (video)
Essential Safety Tips, Every Female Trucker Needs to Stay Safe (video)
(d)
Review the driver's log and find out what kind of information the log contains.
Resource: How to Fill Out a Logbook for CDL Drivers (website)
5.
Do the following:
(a)
Outline the general organization of a trucking company. Describe what each department does.
(b)
List five positions with trucking companies and describe each one.
Resource: 14 Jobs in the Trucking Industry Other Than Driving (website)
6.
Name five government agencies that work closely with the trucking industry. Describe their role.
Resource: Trucking Industry (website)
7.
List five different kinds of trucks. Tell the service each provides.
Resource: Different Types of Trucks and Their Uses (video)
8.
Assume that you are going to ship by truck 500 pounds of goods (freight class 65) from your town to another town 500 miles away. Your shipment must arrive within three days. Explain in writing:
(c)
How to choose which carrier to use
(d)
How to insure the shipment for damages
Resource: Understanding Freight Shipping Insurance: A Comprehensive Guide (website)
9.
Explain the following terms: bill of lading, ETA, logbook, intermodal, containers, tariff, shippers, carrier, consignee, drayage, and cartage.
Resources: Decoding Freight Abbreviations, Acronyms and Initialisms (video)
What's That? Bill of Lading (BOL) (video)
What's That? Intermodal & Multimodal (video)
What's That? Container vs. Trailer (video)
10.
Explore careers related to this merit badge. Research one career to learn about the training and education needed, costs, job prospects, salary, job duties, and career advancement. Your research methods may include—with your parent or guardian's permission—an internet or library search, an interview with a professional in the field, or a visit to a location where people in this career work. Discuss with your counselor both your findings and what about this profession might make it an interesting career.
Resources: What Career Opportunities are in Trucking? A LOT! (video)
What Life Is Like for a Trucker on the Road | NewsNation (video)
How to Become a Truck Dispatcher in 5 Steps? - Beginner Training (video)
Logistics Coordinator Job Description (video)
5 Must Have Skills to earn $10,000 a month as a Truck Dispatcher (video)