How to hire an equipment driver

How to hire an equipment driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step equipment driver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an equipment driver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new equipment driver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your equipment driver job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an equipment driver for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an equipment driver to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an equipment driver that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of equipment drivers.

   Type of Equipment Driver	Description	Hourly rate
   Equipment Driver	Heavy and tractor–trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor–trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity—that is, the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—exceeds 26,000 pounds... Show more	$13-22
   Driver/Mover	A driver/mover is responsible for preparing and arranging items for delivery from the distribution center to assigned destinations. Driver/movers assist with loading and unloading merchandise using various warehouse tools and equipment... Show more	$11-21
   Haul Truck Driver	Haul Truck Drivers are skilled professional drivers. They are licensed to drive around heavy vehicles such as trucks... Show more	$19-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CDL
   • Routine Maintenance
   • Asphalt
   • Pallets
   • Load Trucks
   • H2S
   • Safety Policies
   • Pickup
   • Safety Regulations
   • Log Book
   • Vehicle Service
   • Bobcat
   • Pre
   • Drive Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise the harvest operation to accomplish daily production requirements.
   • Provide timely and efficient pickup and delivery services of surgical equipment/implants to various hospitals throughout the tri-state area.
   • Deliver propane to business and residential customers
   • Deliver propane as scheduled to residential and commercial customers.
   • Deliver customers to their destination/homes/doorsteps with luggage/baggage groceries

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your equipment driver job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An equipment driver salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, equipment drivers' average salary in florida is 57% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level equipment drivers earn 39% less than senior-level equipment drivers.
   • Certifications. An equipment driver with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an equipment driver's salary.

   Average equipment driver salary

   $36,526yearly

   $17.56 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level equipment driver salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing an equipment driver job description

   A job description for an equipment driver role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an equipment driver job description:

   Equipment driver job description example

   Hiring Immediately!
   
   Starting Rate- $20.00/hr
   
   4pm-12am Monday-Friday Full Time
   
   Work with RF scanner to pull product from reserve location.
   
   Pay Range
   
   The typical pay range for this role is:
   
   Minimum: 20.00
   
   Maximum: 20.00
   
   Please keep in mind that this range represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual salary offer will take into account a wide range of factors, including location.
   
   Required Qualifications
   
   Ability to read, write,and count accurately. Must be at least 18 years of age. Good written and verbal skills. Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally (courteous and cordial) Must be certified on all equipment needed to complete job task.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   Previous warehouse experience
   
   Education
   
   High School or equivalent required
   
   Business Overview
   
   Bring your heart to CVS Health Every one of us at CVS Health shares a single, clear purpose: Bringing our heart to every moment of your health. This purpose guides our commitment to deliver enhanced human-centric health care for a rapidly changing world. Anchored in our brand - with heart at its center - our purpose sends a personal message that how we deliver our services is just as important as what we deliver. Our Heart At Work Behaviors™ support this purpose. We want everyone who works at CVS Health to feel empowered by the role they play in transforming our culture and accelerating our ability to innovate and deliver solutions to make health care more personal, convenient and affordable. We strive to promote and sustain a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging every day. CVS Health is an affirmative action employer, and is an equal opportunity employer, as are the physician-owned businesses for which CVS Health provides management services. We do not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, promotion, or any other personnel action based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We proudly support and encourage people with military experience (active, veterans, reservists and National Guard) as well as military spouses to apply for CVS Health job opportunities.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right equipment driver for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your equipment driver job on Zippia to find and recruit equipment driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with equipment driver candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new equipment driver

   Once you've found the equipment driver candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new equipment driver. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an equipment driver?