Several key economic sectors in Arizona employ drivers of semi-trucks and tractor-trailers. Here are some examples. The state’s most important agricultural products include citrus, cotton, and dairy, which are exported to the rest of the United States and worldwide. Long-haul truck drivers transport these products. The copper-mining sector is vitally important to the state’s economy. Trucks transport equipment to the copper mines and transport copper from them. Arizona also shares a border with Mexico, creating a demand for trucking jobs in cross-border trade with Mexico.
Major truck routes in Arizona include Interstates 8, 10, 17, and 40; U.S. Routes 60, 93, and 191; and State Routes 85, 87, 347, Loop 101, and Loop 202. However, truck drivers should watch out for extreme heat conditions in the summertime, when temperatures of over 110°F can cause tires to blow out or vehicles to overheat. They should also watch out for Arizona’s monsoon season (typically from June to September), with its dust storms, heavy rainstorms, and flash floods.