You can’t get much closer to America’s heartland than Iowa. And if we live in a land of milk and honey, both are always better with a bowl of corn flakes or Wheaties, the raw ingredients grown in abundance in Iowa. As a truck driver, you know agriculture means jobs, and Iowa offers plenty of both. But if hauling ag commodities to processing plants isn’t your idea of a satisfying career, don’t cross Iowa off your list. The economy is far more diverse than the stereotypes. High-tech manufacturing, biotechnology, and alternative energy are all growing in Iowa, and the products are distributed by trucks. And Iowa is a perfect Midwest state for distributions as east-west interstates are primary coast-to-coast routes, with north-south interstates stretching from the Mexico border all the way to Duluth, Minnesota. Regardless of what you might haul, be thankful for the Iowa’s agriculture industry — you’ll need to eat lots of Wheaties to keep pace with the competition!
Geographic Advantages
Centered in the Midwest U.S. Iowa is a crossroads for trucking, offering both north-south and east-west routes most of which converge around the state capital of Des Moines.
Bordering States/Countries
Iowa is landlocked, bordered by Nebraska and South Dakota to the west, Minnesota to the north, Missouri to the south, and Illinois and Wisconsin to the east.
As the economy experiences is ups and downs, Iowa is an important state when it comes to achieving stability. With major east to west coast and Mexico to Canada interstates passing through Iowa, the state provides commerce throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. OTR, regional, and local truck driver jobs are plentiful.
Products Moved by Trucks
When it comes to truck driver jobs, Iowa offers a variety of industries in which a driver can specialize. As you might imagine, agriculture tops the list. But whether exported out of state, out of the country, or simply remain in the state for the use of those living in Iowa, 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 Iowa home:
- Tractors (large)
- Corn
- Pork cuts (frozen)
- Solid residues including soya bean oil-cake
- Pork cuts (fresh/chilled)
- Herbicides
- Combine harvester-threshers
- Aircraft including engines, parts
- Brewing/distilling dregs, waste
- Molybdenum ores, concentrates
Iowa Highways
Iowa is a rural state, and interstate highways are limited. I-80 crosses central Iowa east-west between Illinois and Nebraska, while I-35, connecting Mexico and Canada, passes through Iowa as well. Both interstate highways converge at Des Moines.
For more information on Iowa and its truck driver jobs, visit www.iowamotortruck.com