Roll on Mississippi… Indeed, Mississippi is most identified by its name honoring the mouth of the river that forms its western border. Or maybe the river took its name from the state of rich Delta farmland and a cotton industry that once supplied northeast textile mills with as much fiber needed for the U.S. to become a major player on the world textile stage. Cotton isn’t as important as it was even 20 years ago, and when demand dropped, the bottom of Mississippi’s economy did as well. But like their ancestors, Mississippians got creative. What better answer to a lousy economy than a whole lotta casinos? In the late 1980s, casinos seemingly became the state’s top industry and stretched down the river and around the turn to Biloxi and Gulfport. But don’t bet your money on the casino’s making you a rich truck driver. Sure, you’ll probably haul a lot of food and even more adult beverages to casinos now and then, but a major part you’ll drive to and from your neighboring state and its port city of New Orleans. Thanks to offshore drilling, the Mississippi economy is largely driven by oil production today, although cotton is still hanging in at number three. The cash crop is losing ground, though as automobiles, medical instruments and chemical production are rising on the charts. But be sure to tip your hat to that muddy creek to the west. It’s what makes the state roll.
Geographic Advantages
Mississippi is located on the central Gulf Coast; however, unlike Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, Mississippi does not have an extensive coastline. The state’s soil is rich in nutrients from countless floods of the Mississippi River over the centuries making it a prosperous state for commercial agriculture.
Bordering States/Countries
Mississippi is bordered to the south by the Gulf of Mexico, to the west by Louisiana and Arkansas, to the north by Tennessee, and to the east by Alabama.
As the U.S. economy experiences is ups and downs, Mississippi has historically struggled. As technology grows and the state’s casino industry takes off, Mississippi is growing in importance, and with access to New Orleans the growth should continue.
Deep Water Ports
A majority of Mississippi’s ports are inland along the Mississippi and Tombigbee Rivers. It does have four ports on the Gulf Coast, the largest being the Port of Pascagoula. Other ports are located at Biloxi, Gulfport, and Port Bienville.
Products Moved by Trucks
When it comes to truck driver jobs, Mississippi offers many industries in which a driver can specialize as well as a large number of companies and carriers offering truck driver jobs. The state’s proximity to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans play and important role in the economy. Whether products are exported out of state, out of the country, or simply remain in the state for the use of those living in Mississippi, according to the latest data from World’s Top Exports, the following are the primary products moved by truck drivers and offering many truck driving jobs to those calling Mississippi home:
- Miscellaneous petroleum oils
- Light petroleum oils
- Cotton (uncarded, uncombed)
- Medical/dental/veterinarian instruments
- Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine)
- Pigments, titanium dioxide preparations
- Chemical wood pulp (coniferous)
- Large automobiles (piston engine)
- Natural gas (liquid)
- Modems, similar reception/transmission devices
Mississippi Highways
The Interstate Highways in Mississippi include 6 major routes along with 3 auxiliary routes. The total mileage of interstate highway in Mississippi is 840, just a portion of the state’s 162,000 lane miles of roadway and include:
I-10 from Alabama state line to Slidell
I-20 from Alabama state line to Vicksburg
I -22 from Alabama state line to Byhalia
I-49 from Pineville to Kansas City
I-55 from Louisiana state line to Tennessee state line near Southaven
I-59 from Louisiana state line at Nicholson to Alabama state line near Kewanee
I-69 from Banks to Hernando
For more information on Mississippi and its truck driver jobs, visit www.mstrucking.org