How to hire a heavy truck driver

How to hire a heavy truck driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step heavy truck driver hiring guide:

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

What does a heavy truck driver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your heavy truck 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 a heavy truck 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

   A heavy truck driver's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, heavy truck drivers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents heavy truck driver salaries for various positions.

   Type of Heavy Truck Driver	Description	Hourly rate
   Heavy Truck 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	$18-36
   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
   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... Show more	$19-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CDL
   • Safety Rules
   • Hazmat
   • Dump Truck
   • Transport Materials
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Construction Equipment
   • OTR
   • Federal Regulations
   • Tractor-Trailer Combination
   • Drive Trucks
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Shovels
   • Safety Regulations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Haul equipment (skid steers, backhoe, and mini-excavators) to and from job sites.
   • Succeed in assuring all government compliance measures for transporting Hazmat cargo and high-end sensitive items for clients are met.
   • Work with the backhoe driver and position the dump truck as for scrap concrete and dirt be load on the vehicle.
   • company to contractor local and otr feul deliverys
   • Conduct deliveries of medical equipment throughout Florida, collect payments, and ensure proper cleanliness of medical equipment
   • Deliver FedEx packages to establish residential and businesses accounts on an assign route in a timely and professional manner.

   More heavy truck driver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the heavy truck driver job description is a good way to get more applicants. A heavy truck driver salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a heavy truck driver in New Hampshire may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level heavy truck driver. Additionally, a heavy truck driver with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average heavy truck driver salary

   $54,369yearly

   $26.14 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level heavy truck driver salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average heavy truck driver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$68,921	$33
   2	Washington	$61,475	$30
   3	Nevada	$58,136	$28
   4	Nebraska	$55,719	$27
   5	North Dakota	$54,671	$26
   6	Illinois	$54,211	$26
   7	Oklahoma	$53,489	$26
   8	Ohio	$53,375	$26
   9	Michigan	$52,930	$25
   10	Colorado	$52,890	$25
   11	Indiana	$52,449	$25
   12	Kentucky	$52,438	$25
   13	South Carolina	$51,133	$25
   14	Virginia	$50,586	$24
   15	Louisiana	$48,994	$24
   16	Texas	$46,321	$22
   17	Florida	$43,131	$21

   Average heavy truck driver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	B & B Co.	$53,111	$25.53	1
   2	J&J Worldwide Services	$53,102	$25.53	2
   3	KBR	$52,997	$25.48	15
   4	Us Army Reserves	$52,440	$25.21	21
   5	Halliburton	$52,256	$25.12	4
   6	NANA	$51,881	$24.94	13
   7	Wagner Spray Tech	$51,701	$24.86	8
   8	Skookum	$50,700	$24.38	20
   9	APTIM	$50,348	$24.21	5
   10	NSC Global	$49,677	$23.88
   11	Clean Harbors	$48,745	$23.44	403
   12	Northrop Grumman	$48,228	$23.19
   13	Vectrus	$43,298	$20.82
   14	City of Seattle	$37,701	$18.13
   15	Washtenaw County Road Commission	$35,685	$17.16
   16	Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation	$34,008	$16.35	3
   17	San Antonio Zoo	$32,434	$15.59

4. Writing a heavy truck driver job description

   A job description for a heavy truck 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 a heavy truck driver job description:

   Heavy truck driver job description example

   Title:
   APS-3: Truck Driver, Heavy
   
   KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
   
   In compliance with the U.S. federal government's vaccine mandate, only candidates who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have a reasonable accommodation or approved medical exception will be considered for this position.
   
   Heavy Truck Driver duties include but not limited to:
   
   The truck driver drives a truck to transport materials, merchandise, equipment, or workers between various types of establishments, and customers places of business. This driver may also load or unload trucks with helpers.
   
   Additional duties are as follows:
   When hauling a flatbed, step deck, or lowboy trailer load securement will have to be performed to include using ratchet straps, chains and binders, and securement dunnage.Loading rail cars will require setting out planks to drive from car to car and handling rail car binders to secure equipment to rail cars.Driver will have to climb in and out of vehicles on the rail.Hooking up various types of military style trailers requiring long periods of standing and bending to get items ready to haul or stage.Driver will be required to get the passenger endorsement added to their class A CDL.Drivers will be required to learn to operate various types of MHE equipment to include forklifts ranging from 4k to 30k, backhoes, bulldozers, skid steers, etc...
   
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   US CitizensMust be able to obtain and maintain local base access Must be able to obtain and maintain a Common Access Card ( CAC ) Ability to walk and stand regularly Ability to work outdoors in the heat and cold Ability to work overtime as required by production schedule Possess and maintain a Class (A) Commercial Drivers License ( CDL ) Possess and maintain a Bus Passenger endorsement on there Commercial Drivers License ( CDL )
   
   THIS IS NOT A REMOTE ROLE. NO RELOCATION, NO PERDIEM, NO UPLIFTS AVAILABLE.
   
   In compliance with the U.S. federal government's vaccine mandate, only candidates who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have a reasonable accommodation or approved medical exception will be considered for this position.
   
   KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right heavy truck driver for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with heavy truck drivers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit heavy truck drivers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit heavy truck drivers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 heavy truck driver

   Once you've found the heavy truck 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new heavy truck 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 a heavy truck driver?