What does a flatbed truck driver do?
A flatbed truck driver is primarily responsible for the transport and delivery of goods, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their duties mainly revolve around coordinating with logistics staff, planning deliveries, managing paperwork, responding to calls and inquiries from clients, and maintaining their vehicles in good condition by regularly conducting maintenance checks. There are are also instances when a driver must collect and process payments, making sure to keep records of all transactions. Furthermore, it is essential to load and unload goods to the location of deliveries and abide by all the traffic laws and regulations.
Flatbed truck driver responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real flatbed truck driver resumes:
- Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
- Make sure that all proper PPE is used.
- Deliver OTR flatb cargo as assigned by driver manager.
- Job safety observe at all times with proper PPE.
- Navigate routes using GPS to find the most efficient route.
- Dive semi truck and haul all commodities associate with the flatbedindustry.
- Operate a commercial vehicle in compliance to FMCSA rules and regulations.
- Deliver bulk haz-mat via triaxle tank truck and fill in on tractor trailor.
- Maintain trip logs reflecting customer locations and distance travele through paper log and Qualcomm system.
- Obtain appropriate permits for multiple states, locate and navigating to unmark sights with GPS units.
- Prepare & submit appropriate haz-mat paperwork to authorities, haul out of refineries in south Texas.
- Work in the shipping and receiving department to coordinate timely pickup and delivery of motors to various industrial plants.
- Maintain cleanliness of warehouse area.
- Maintain exterior and interior cleanliness of company vehicles.
- Maintain CDL and require certifications to operate commercial trucks.
Flatbed truck driver skills and personality traits
We calculated that 44% of Flatbed Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, Flatbed, and OTR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Hearing ability, and Physical health.
We break down the percentage of Flatbed Truck Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 44%
Qualified with current CDL Class B license.
- Flatbed, 37%
Assisted in loading and unloading at customer locations Made lumber deliveries on 48 foot flatbed tractor-trailer Safely operated equipment
- OTR, 15%
Dedicated OTR driver hauling Medical perishable commodities every week between Baltimore Maryland and Quebec City Canada
- Commodities, 1%
Hauled general commodities such as steel, pipes, and coils.
- Building Materials, 1%
Transport building materials to construction and residential areas.
- Load Securement, 0%
Maintain truck and trailer to proper DOT specifications certifying load securement and equipment meets all regulations.
Most flatbed truck drivers use their skills in "cdl," "flatbed," and "otr" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential flatbed truck driver responsibilities here:
Hand-eye coordination. One of the key soft skills for a flatbed truck driver to have is hand-eye coordination. You can see how this relates to what flatbed truck drivers do 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 flatbed truck driver resume shows how flatbed truck drivers use 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 flatbed truck driver duties is hearing ability. Flatbed truck drivers responsibilities require that "truck drivers need good hearing." Flatbed 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 flatbed truck drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how flatbed 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 flatbed truck driver: "used qualcomm in training scenarios -physically capable of lifting 25-85 lbs -learned tarping, chaining, and safety of securing loads".
Visual ability. For certain flatbed truck driver responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "visual ability." The day-to-day duties of a flatbed truck driver rely on this skill, as "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what flatbed truck drivers do: "maintained education in successfully, handling hazardous materials; visually recognized colored labels and placards. "
The three companies that hire the most flatbed truck drivers are:
- Melton Truck Lines1,395 flatbed truck drivers jobs
- TMC Transportation1,045 flatbed truck drivers jobs
- Roehl Transport725 flatbed truck drivers jobs
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Compare different flatbed truck drivers
Flatbed 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, flatbed truck driver responsibilities require skills like "flatbed," "commodities," "building materials," and "load securement." Meanwhile a typical driver has skills in areas such as "math," "basic math," "safety rules," and "cleanliness." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Drivers earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $39,688. On the other hand, flatbed truck drivers are paid more in the transportation industry with an average salary of $62,398.The education levels that drivers earn slightly differ from flatbed truck drivers. In particular, drivers are 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a flatbed truck driver. Additionally, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Flatbed 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.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real flatbed truck driver resumes. While flatbed truck driver responsibilities can utilize skills like "cdl," "flatbed," "load securement," and "dot regulations," cdl drivers use skills like "dot," "cdl-a," "customer service," and "pet."
Cdl drivers may earn a higher salary than flatbed truck drivers, but cdl drivers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $63,457. On the other hand, flatbed truck drivers receive higher pay in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $62,398.cdl drivers earn similar levels of education than flatbed truck drivers in general. They're 0.7% 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 flatbed truck drivers in the next 3-5 years?
Don Lefeve
President & Chairman of the Board, CVTA
Flatbed 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from flatbed truck driver resumes include skills like "flatbed," "commodities," "building materials," and "load securement," whereas a local driver is more likely to list skills in "dot," "customer service," "pallet jack," and "hazmat. "
Local drivers earn the highest salary when working in the transportation industry, where they receive an average salary of $52,385. Comparatively, flatbed truck drivers have the highest earning potential in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $62,398.Most local drivers achieve a similar degree level compared to flatbed truck drivers. For example, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Flatbed 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.
Types of flatbed truck driver
Updated January 8, 2025
