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What does a commercial truck driver do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Don Lefeve
What does a commercial truck driver do

A commercial truck driver is primarily in charge of transporting and delivering cargo, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities include driving for long durations, coordinating with logistics staff, handling documentation, and maintaining the safety of cargo. There are also instances where they must liaise with clients, unload and load cargo, and keep records of all transactions. Furthermore, as a commercial truck driver, it is essential to conduct regular maintenance checks on vehicles and adhere to the traffic laws and regulations for a safe and productive work environment.

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Commercial truck driver responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real commercial truck driver resumes:

  • Operate a forklift following OSHA safety regulations and maintenance standards.
  • Work OTR for duration of lease.
  • Complete nationwide OTR training including all terrains and climates.
  • Train and mentore new CDL certify students from the company.
  • Attend licensing to learn about new laws and Hazmat industry procedures.
  • Maintain commercial driver's license (CDL) without incident or accident.
  • Follow all FMCSA rules and regulations.as well as no cargo claims or late deliveries
  • Keep daily logs accurate and up to date following standards set forth by dot.
  • Transport freight in a safe and timely manner in accordance with all FMCSA regulations.
  • Maintain and promote clean safe work environment in compliance with OSHA, and company standards.
  • Operate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity of more than 26,000 pounds.
  • Cross country team driver with certifications to transport tankers, hazmat, triple trailers and double trailers.
  • Plan routes with assistance of maps, GPS, and personal knowledge for local and interstate travel.
  • Used GPS to navigate local traffic, toll roads and bridges, as well as weigh stations.
  • Require to fill out all macros pertaining to loads and time off.

Commercial truck driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 30% of Commercial Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, Good Time Management, and Safety Issues. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Hearing ability, and Physical health.

We break down the percentage of Commercial Truck Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CDL, 30%

    Maintained Valid CDL Driver License and Up-to-date medical certification.

  • Good Time Management, 9%

    Provided good time management to avoid being late for pickups or deliveries.

  • Safety Issues, 9%

    Inspected assigned vehicle for mechanical safety issues.

  • Safety Equipment, 8%

    Maintained a record of vehicle inspections and make sure the truck was equipped with safety equipment such as hazardous material placards.

  • Federal Regulations, 7%

    Provided on-time service to customers * Self-managed day-to-day operations * Complied with all state and federal regulations

  • OTR, 5%

    Route Distribution Over the Road Semi Truck Driver Knowledgeable, dependable and safe truck driver with OTR and tractor trailer experience.

"cdl," "good time management," and "safety issues" are among the most common skills that commercial truck drivers use at work. You can find even more commercial truck driver responsibilities below, including:

Hand-eye coordination. The most essential soft skill for a commercial truck driver to carry out their responsibilities is hand-eye coordination. This skill is important for the role because "drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers must be able to coordinate their legs, hands, and eyes simultaneously so that they will react appropriately to the situation around them and drive the vehicle safely." Additionally, a commercial truck driver resume shows how their duties depend on hand-eye coordination: "required to use a paper log book with accordance to dot,accomplishmentsnot availableskills usedgood eye hand coordination. "

Hearing ability. Another essential skill to perform commercial truck driver duties is hearing ability. Commercial truck drivers responsibilities require that "truck drivers need good hearing." Commercial truck drivers also use hearing ability in their role according to a real resume snippet: "transport and deliver customer goods while adhearing to strict deadlines and safety regulations for professional drivers. "

Physical health. This is an important skill for commercial truck drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how commercial truck driver responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "federal regulations do not allow people to become truck drivers if they have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or epilepsy, which may interfere with their ability to operate a truck." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a commercial truck driver: "performed physical labor for heavy equipment operation including excavation, trenching, shoveling and dump truck driving. ".

Visual ability. A big part of what commercial truck drivers do relies on "visual ability." You can see how essential it is to commercial truck driver responsibilities because "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical commercial truck driver tasks: "maintained education in successfully, handling hazardous materials; visually recognized colored labels and placards. "

All commercial truck driver skills

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Compare different commercial truck drivers

Commercial truck driver vs. Cdl driver

A CDL driver is responsible for the transportation of goods from the manufacturing warehouse to specific store locations. CDL drivers' duties include inspecting the items before and after the delivery to ensure that the orders are correct with the right quantity, providing proof of delivery from the receiving customers, following the delivery schedule and report any delays immediately, monitoring the vehicle's engine for efficiency, and escalating concerns of incorrect deliveries and defective items. A CDL driver must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills, following safety procedures and road rules at all times.

If we compare the average commercial truck driver annual salary with that of a cdl driver, we find that cdl drivers typically earn a $1,400 lower salary than commercial truck drivers make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between commercial truck drivers and cdl drivers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like good time management, safety equipment, and federal regulations.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a commercial truck driver are more likely to require skills like "cdl," "safety issues," "dependability," and "dot regulations." On the other hand, a job as a cdl driver requires skills like "dot," "cdl-a," "customer service," and "pet." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Cdl drivers earn the highest salaries when working in the retail industry, with an average yearly salary of $63,457. On the other hand, commercial truck drivers are paid more in the transportation industry with an average salary of $59,816.The education levels that cdl drivers earn slightly differ from commercial truck drivers. In particular, cdl drivers are 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a commercial truck driver. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial truck driver vs. Van driver

A van driver is responsible for operating a wide and a larger-sized vehicle than a regular car, usually used as a company shuttle to pick up and drop employees to designated areas. Van drivers should have a clean driving record, ensuring the safety and comfortability of the passengers while on the road. They should also be familiar with the location, considering alternative routes for any road complications to avoid delays. A van driver must have comprehensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, inspecting the engine's condition, and perform repairs as necessary.

On average, van drivers earn a $28,258 lower salary than commercial truck drivers a year.A few skills overlap for commercial truck drivers and van drivers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "cdl," "safety equipment," and "otr. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that commercial truck driver responsibilities requires skills like "good time management," "safety issues," "federal regulations," and "good communication." But a van driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "mechanical problems," "patients," and "pet."

Van drivers earn a lower average salary than commercial truck drivers. But van drivers earn the highest pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $37,113. Additionally, commercial truck drivers earn the highest salaries in the transportation with average pay of $59,816 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Van drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than commercial truck drivers. In fact, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for commercial truck drivers in the next 3-5 years?

Don LefeveDon Lefeve LinkedIn profile

President & Chairman of the Board, CVTA

Technology is changing very fast, which is great news for trucking (and all transportation) as it's making vehicles safer. The next 3-5 years will see the expansion of electric vehicles, better safety systems, and greater efficiency in transportation networks. While autonomous technology is advancing rapidly, it will not replace humans anytime soon. Certainly not in the next 3-5 years. There's a lot of testing, security concerns, and limitations that need to be worked out. Beyond the next five years, as technology continues advancing, and jobs will change and be enhanced, but driving jobs will not be replaced by machines. Like airline pilots, the technology relies upon humans, and the human will retain a central role in the control of the truck because we possess the fastest, most capable computers of all -- our brains. I think driver training will always be required, and in fact, it will likely expand to cover not only the fundamentals but also incorporate more technical training centered around autonomous systems and how to operate them.

Commercial truck driver vs. Truck driver-over-the-road

A truck driver-over-the-road (OTR) is an individual driver who specializes in hauling items such as heavy freight, machinery, or construction materials from a home terminal to delivery points. OTR truck drivers usually spend more time on the road due to the long distances they are required to reach. To avoid vehicular breakdowns and delays, OTR drivers are required to inspect their trucks and review shipping and transport documents. They are also responsible for unloading freights and collect charges from customers.

On average, truck driver-over the roads earn higher salaries than commercial truck drivers, with a $4,646 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on commercial truck drivers and truck driver-over the roads resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "cdl," "federal regulations," and "otr.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, commercial truck drivers are more likely to have skills like "good time management," "safety issues," "safety equipment," and "good communication." But a truck driver-over-the-road is more likely to have skills like "pet," "work ethic," "customer service," and "taking care."

Truck driver-over the roads earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $67,303. Comparatively, commercial truck drivers have the highest earning potential in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $59,816.When it comes to education, truck driver-over the roads tend to earn similar degree levels compared to commercial truck drivers. In fact, they're 0.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial truck driver vs. Mixer driver

A mixer driver is responsible for operating mixer trucks to deliver construction materials and concrete mixtures to construction and industrial site. Mixer drivers must inspect the condition of the truck's engine before and after operations to ensure its stability and performance that would prevent operational delays and avoid potential hazards. They should also dispense the mixtures properly and clean spills after delivery. A mixer driver must have excellent organizational skills to control the truck safely and ensure that the correct materials are delivered.

Mixer drivers tend to earn a lower pay than commercial truck drivers by an average of $12,508 per year.While both commercial truck drivers and mixer drivers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like cdl, federal regulations, and safety regulations, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between commercial truck drivers and mixer drivers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a commercial truck driver might have more use for skills like "good time management," "safety issues," "safety equipment," and "otr." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of mixer drivers require skills like "dot," "customer service," "ladders," and "osha. "

The construction industry tends to pay the highest salaries for mixer drivers, with average annual pay of $51,169. Comparatively, the highest commercial truck driver annual salary comes from the transportation industry.The average resume of mixer drivers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to commercial truck drivers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of commercial truck driver

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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