How To Become A Commercial Driver: What It Is and Career Path

What is a commercial driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A commercial driver operates large vehicles like buses and trucks, transporting goods and passengers across long distances. These professionals must hold a commercial driver's license (CDL) and undergo extensive training to ensure they can safely inspect, maintain, and operate these vehicles. They must also maintain accurate records of their driving time and cargo. Commercial driving can be a demanding profession, but provides a level of independence that some find extremely satisfying.

ScoreCommercial DriverUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $46,852

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%

Asian 3.48%

Black or African American 12.46%

Hispanic or Latino 23.12%

Unknown 4.60%

White 55.55%

Gender

female 24.17%

male 75.83%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.4

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a commercial driver?

Pros

Good earning potential, benefits, and job security
Independence and autonomy
Ability to work independently
Potential for flexible schedules
Opportunity for advancement within the industry

Cons

Long hours and time away from home
Risk of accidents or injuries
Physical demands of the job (e.g. sitting for long periods, loading and unloading cargo)
High stress levels and pressure to meet deadlines
Isolation and loneliness on the road

Key steps to become a commercial driver

Explore commercial driver education requirements

Most common commercial driver degrees

High School Diploma

36.1 %

Associate

23.5 %

Bachelor's

18.5 %

Start to develop specific commercial driver skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	18.77%
CDL	12.03%
Ladders	11.79%
Customer Orders	9.00%
DOT	8.32%

Complete relevant commercial driver training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New commercial drivers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a commercial driver based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real commercial driver resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed commercial driver usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed commercial driver in most of states. 13 states require commercial drivers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Arkansas	Specific course required	State exam required	Commercial Driver (Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver)
California	-	State exam required	Commercial Driver License
Idaho	-	State exam required	Commercial Drivers
Massachusetts	-	State exam required	COMMERCIAL DRIVERS
Missouri	-	State exam required	Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer

Research commercial driver duties and responsibilities

Haul HAZMAT with roll-off bins, tankers, flatb, dry vans and dumps.
Plan delivery route & schedule using maps and GPS devices.
Develop and maintain an efficient routing system utilizing GPS and map.
Operate a Volvo commercial truck and transport regional and OTR loads.

Prepare your commercial driver resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your commercial driver resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a commercial driver resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable commercial driver resume templates

Build a professional commercial driver resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your commercial driver resume.