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

What is a fuel truck driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Without fuel truck drivers, gas stations wouldn't have a steady supply of gas to provide to the public. Therefore, the job of a fuel truck driver is imperative to maintaining the normal way of life.

In essence, a fuel truck driver is responsible for transporting fuel to various destinations, be it gas stations or fuel reservoirs. Like other truck drivers, they must use proper driving techniques and be on high alert to be able to transport fuel safely and efficiently. Furthermore, a fuel truck driver is also responsible for conducting regular inspections on their tucks and performing basic maintenance on and off the road.

The basic requirements for this job are a high school diploma, a commercial driver's license, and basic training in truck driving. The length of training that one would need to qualify depends on their employer, but in general, it can take around three to six months before one can drive independently.

When it comes to compensation, the salary of a fuel truck driver is around $53,000 a year. Aside from good pay, this job also offers a lot of great benefits.

ScoreFuel Truck DriverUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $56,767

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76%

Asian 3.31%

Black or African American 11.91%

Hispanic or Latino 22.56%

Unknown 4.50%

White 56.96%

Gender

female 4.99%

male 95.01%

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

Key steps to become a fuel truck driver

Explore fuel truck driver education requirements

Most common fuel truck driver degrees

High School Diploma

44.2 %

Associate

16.9 %

Bachelor's

13.7 %

Start to develop specific fuel truck driver skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	31.21%
Hazmat	14.85%
DOT	13.92%
Math	4.14%
Basic Math	3.97%

Complete relevant fuel truck driver training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fuel truck 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 fuel truck driver based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fuel truck driver resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed fuel truck driver usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed fuel truck driver in most of states. 13 states require fuel truck 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 fuel truck driver duties and responsibilities

Load truck with various types of fuelDrive CDL truck to deliver fuelPrep and deliver tanks to customers
Deliver fuel to businesses as requested while following hazmat and tanker protocol as outlined by the D.O.T.
Train in backing, docking and parallel parking of tractor-trailers ensure that trailers are properly placard for hazmat load on trailer.
Participate in safety briefings and follow all safety protocol including wearing appropriate PPE.

Prepare your fuel truck driver resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your fuel truck 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 fuel truck 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 fuel truck driver resume templates

Build a professional fuel truck 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 fuel truck driver resume.