When Washington crossed the Delaware, he was headed for New Jersey. But it you want a truck driving job that will take you across the country to Washington, Delaware is a great place to start.
Geographic Advantages
Delaware is a small state by area — less than 100 miles north-south and no more than 35 miles east-west. With a population hovering around 1 million, it is the sixth most densely populated state in the country. But sitting at the top of what is called the Mid-Atlantic coastline, Delaware is situated to provide truck driving jobs that will allow you to travel the entire eastern shore from the urban Northeast all the way to Florida. And even with all those people, Delaware has room for an agricultural economy based on poultry, nursery stock, soybeans, dairy products and corn. Likewise, the Port of Wilmington contains the largest dockside cold freight storage facility in North America, making it a major offloading point for bananas and other fruits and vegetables destined to the heavily populated Northeast.
Bordering States/Countries
Delaware is bounded to the north by Pennsylvania; to the east by the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west and south by Maryland. Small portions of Delaware are also situated on the eastern side of the Delaware River sharing land boundaries with New Jersey. The state of Delaware, together with the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland and two counties of Virginia, form the Delmarva Peninsula, which stretches down the Mid-Atlantic Coast.
As the economy experiences is ups and downs, Delaware’s position as a state with agriculture, chemical and pharmaceutical production, and retailers provides for many truck driver jobs both in and out of state.
Products Moved by Trucks
Whether they are exported out of state, out of the country, or simply remain in the state for the use of those living in Delaware, 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 Delaware home:
- Miscellaneous medications
- Physical chemistry instruments
- Large automobiles (piston engine)
- Aircraft including engines, parts
- Gold (unwrought)
- Bananas
- Machinery tools parts, accessories
- Miscellaneous petroleum oils
- Filtering/purifying machinery parts
- Vulcanized rubber gaskets, washers, other seals
Delaware’s Deep Water Ports
Delaware is home to four primary ports, the largest and most significant being the Port of Wilmington at the northern end of Delaware Bay and southwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Port of Wilmington is 65 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean with New Jersey protecting the port to the east. Other Delaware ports include Breakwater Harbor at the mouth of Delaware Bay, Bowers Harbor, and the Port of Delaware City.
Delaware’s Highways
For those holding truck driving jobs, it’s important to realize that Delaware’s interstate infrastructure is extremely limited, the only interstate within its borders being I-95 north of Wilmington toward Philadelphia. There are 7 U.S. Highway providing access to most of Delaware and are primary routes for those holding truck driving jobs. The most important U.S. Highway is U.S. 13, providing access from Wilmington to the Maryland state line and essentially bisecting the state north and south.
For more information on Delaware and its truck driver jobs, visit: delawaretrucking.org