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What does a delivery truck driver do?

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

A delivery truck driver is primarily responsible for transporting and delivering products to clients, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. They are also responsible for coordinating with logistics staff, loading and unloading packages, handling and managing documentation, following designated schedules and routes, and maintaining records of deliveries, including the missed ones. There are also instances when a delivery truck driver must accept and process payments, respond to customer calls and inquiries, and prepare progress reports. Furthermore, it is essential to perform maintenance checks on vehicles and abide by all traffic laws for a safe and efficient work environment.

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Delivery truck driver responsibilities

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

  • Operate trucks requiring on appropriate CDL license .!
  • Warehouse; utilize forklift, CDL truck driving/delivery and other relate duties.
  • Maintain order and cleanliness throughout interior and exterior of truck and trailer.
  • Maintain the cleanliness of the coke machine and program the machine as needed.
  • Read and interpret maps, GPS directions, schematics, blueprints and diagrams.
  • Truck driver-delivery associate, hauling hardware for assign customers, hazmat, doubles and triples.
  • Deliver a variety of dairy products such as milk and groceries to home owners and businesses.
  • Pick up/delivery of supplies, load/unload delivery trucks, maintain dot logs, and provide onsite customer service.
  • Operate stand up power clamp trucks to pull pallets of dairy products from assembly line to be place into warehouse inventory.
  • Utilize GPS and NAVASTAR tracking services while hauling variety of packages & goods to local, regional, and national businesses.
  • Certificate, Hazmat train and certify
  • Maintain constant communication with customers on pickup and delivery hours.
  • Sort packages by region, deliver packages to customers, handle cash-on-delivery payments, process business pickups, utilize DIAD board technology

Delivery truck driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 34% of Delivery Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, Tractor Trailer, and Customer Locations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Math skills, and Patience.

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

  • CDL, 34%

    Maintain a valid Class A CDL and current DOT medical card.

  • Tractor Trailer, 21%

    Repaired minor tractor trailer malfunctions to reduce company expense.

  • Customer Locations, 11%

    Deliver product to customer locations meeting established delivery goals.

  • Groceries, 5%

    Delivered groceries to stores across various locations in state and out of state.

  • Delivery Truck, 4%

    Loaded delivery trucks with appropriate merchandise, unloaded when necessary, and counted inventory under minimal supervision.

  • DOT, 4%

    Inspected vehicle and maintained appropriate documentation, ensuring safety and compliance with DOT Regulations.

"cdl," "tractor trailer," and "customer locations" are among the most common skills that delivery truck drivers use at work. You can find even more delivery truck driver responsibilities below, including:

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a delivery truck driver to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "when completing deliveries, drivers often interact with customers and should make a good impression to ensure repeat business." Delivery truck drivers often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "truck driver-delivery associate, hauling hardware for assigned customers, hazmat, doubles and triples. "

Math skills. Another essential skill to perform delivery truck driver duties is math skills. Delivery truck drivers responsibilities require that "because delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers sometimes take payment, they must be able to count cash and make change quickly and accurately." Delivery truck drivers also use math skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "deliver pizza's to customers and knowledge of math which includes addition and subtraction. "

Patience. This is an important skill for delivery truck drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how delivery truck driver responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "when driving through heavy traffic congestion, delivery drivers must remain calm and composed." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a delivery truck driver: "make on time deliverys accomplishments i learned alot about being an otr driver skills used patience. ".

Sales skills. A big part of what delivery truck drivers do relies on "sales skills." You can see how essential it is to delivery truck driver responsibilities because "driver/sales workers are expected to persuade customers to purchase new or different products." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical delivery truck driver tasks: "maintain machine cleanliness appearance, and all appropriate point of sales. "

Hand-eye coordination. A commonly-found skill in delivery truck driver job descriptions, "hand-eye coordination" is essential to what delivery truck drivers do. Delivery truck driver responsibilities rely on this skill because "drivers need to observe their surroundings at all times while operating a vehicle." You can also see how delivery truck driver duties rely on hand-eye coordination in this resume example: "inventory control and coordination of fresh produce deliveries. "

Visual ability. While "visual ability" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to delivery truck driver responsibilities. Much of what a delivery truck driver does relies on this skill, seeing as "to have a driver’s license, delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers must be able to pass a state vision test." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of delivery truck drivers: "load delivery vehicle and visually check items for damage. "

All delivery truck driver skills

The three companies that hire the most delivery truck drivers are:

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Compare different delivery truck drivers

Delivery truck driver vs. Driver

Drivers are responsible for safely transporting people, packages, or goods from one destination to another. They should be familiar with the different routes that may be taken to reach the desired goal. They should be expert navigators and may use navigation apps to help them along the way. They should also be familiar with the basic mechanics of the vehicle they are using and the proper maintenance and cleaning needed to ensure that the car is running well. Drivers are expected to have excellent customer relation skills, a strong sense of direction, and superb organizations.

The annual salary of drivers is $20,792 lower than the average salary of delivery truck drivers.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between delivery truck drivers and drivers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like cdl, customer locations, and groceries.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between delivery truck drivers and driver. For instance, delivery truck driver responsibilities require skills such as "tractor trailer," "delivery truck," "cod," and "pallets." Whereas a driver is skilled in "basic math," "safety rules," "vehicle maintenance," and "otr." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Drivers tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $39,688. In contrast, delivery truck drivers make the biggest average salary, $65,283, in the manufacturing industry.drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than delivery truck drivers. In fact, drivers are 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Delivery truck driver vs. Route driver

A Route Driver is responsible for delivering and transporting supplies or goods within an allotted time. The tasks will vary upon the organization or industry that a Route Driver works for, however, most of the time, the duties will revolve around picking up and dropping off packages at particular destinations ranging from homes to establishments, and communicating with customers. Furthermore, Route Drivers must keep their vehicles in clean and sound condition, report to supervisors should there be any issue, and adhere to the company policies and regulations at all times.

Route driver positions earn lower pay than delivery truck driver roles. They earn a $10,071 lower salary than delivery truck drivers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both delivery truck drivers and route drivers have skills such as "cdl," "tractor trailer," and "customer locations. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that delivery truck driver responsibilities requires skills like "pallets," "shingles," "good communication," and "work ethic." But a route driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer satisfaction," "working independently," "routine maintenance," and "taking care."

On average, route drivers earn a lower salary than delivery truck drivers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, route drivers earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $47,349. Whereas delivery truck drivers have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $65,283.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Route drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than delivery truck drivers. In fact, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for delivery 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.

Delivery truck driver vs. Local driver

A local driver is responsible for transporting people and goods and services from the distribution centers to various destinations. Local drivers operate vehicles and inspect the engine for any inconsistencies and system defects that may cause delays with the operations. They also schedule vehicle maintenance and repairs, keeping a record of receipts for the management's validation. A local driver must have excellent driving skills and a clean driving record. Additionally, a local driver should possess excellent communication skills, especially on handling customers' inquiries and concerns and escalating high-level complaints.

On average, local drivers earn lower salaries than delivery truck drivers, with a $7,403 difference per year.delivery truck drivers and local drivers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cdl," "customer locations," and "groceries," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from delivery truck driver resumes include skills like "tractor trailer," "delivery truck," "math," and "cod," whereas a local driver is more likely to list skills in "otr," "fmcsa," "ltl," and "electronic logs. "

Local drivers make a very good living in the transportation industry with an average annual salary of $52,385. On the other hand, delivery truck drivers are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $65,283.When it comes to education, local drivers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to delivery truck drivers. In fact, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Delivery 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.

Truck driver-over the roads typically earn higher pay than delivery truck drivers. On average, truck driver-over the roads earn a $13,595 higher salary per year.While their salaries may vary, delivery truck drivers and truck driver-over the roads both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "cdl," "customer locations," and "customer service. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between delivery truck drivers and truck driver-over the roads, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a delivery truck driver might have more use for skills like "tractor trailer," "groceries," "delivery truck," and "dot." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of truck driver-over the roads require skills like "otr," "pet," "fmcsa," and "taking care. "

The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for truck driver-over the roads, with average annual pay of $67,303. Comparatively, the highest delivery truck driver annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry.truck driver-over the roads reach similar levels of education compared to delivery truck drivers, in general. The difference is that they're 1.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of delivery 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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