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What does a heavy truck driver do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Don Lefeve

A heavy truck driver delivers goods and other heavy loads for clients. They transport these goods within a designated route from the manufacturing warehouse to designated store locations. In addition to driving, they determine if their truck complies with the weight or height restrictions on certain bridges and tunnels and modifies routes as necessary.

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Heavy truck driver responsibilities

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

  • 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.

Heavy truck driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 32% of Heavy Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, Safety Rules, and Hazmat. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hearing ability, Physical health, and Hand-eye coordination.

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

  • CDL, 32%

    Obtained CDL's and Hazardous Material Certificate/Endorsement.

  • Safety Rules, 13%

    Checked the vehicle regularly for any potential breakdowns, changed oil and preserved safety rules.

  • Hazmat, 6%

    Operated heavy vehicles with a capacity of 30 tons including Line Haul, Tanker, HAZMAT.

  • Dump Truck, 4%

    Operated the Dump Truck to complete assigned workloads throughout the city, used air brakes

  • Transport Materials, 4%

    Operate articulated trucks to transport materials.

  • Hazardous Materials, 3%

    Participated in the loading, securing, managing, and unloading of hazardous materials.

"cdl," "safety rules," and "hazmat" are among the most common skills that heavy truck drivers use at work. You can find even more heavy truck driver responsibilities below, including:

Hearing ability. The most essential soft skill for a heavy truck driver to carry out their responsibilities is hearing ability. This skill is important for the role because "truck drivers need good hearing." Additionally, a heavy truck driver resume shows how their duties depend on hearing ability: "haul dirt and or any other material from job sites while ad hearing to dot rules and regulations.10 wheel dump truck"

Physical health. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling heavy truck driver duties is physical health. The role rewards competence in this skill because "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." According to a heavy truck driver resume, here's how heavy truck drivers can utilize physical health in their job responsibilities: "dot card and knowledge of dot physicals, log books and qualcomm! "

Hand-eye coordination. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of heavy truck drivers is hand-eye coordination. This skill is critical to many everyday heavy truck driver duties, as "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." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "manage inventory -write orders - driving safely and following dot regulations skills used organization, time management, customer service and coordination"

Visual ability. For certain heavy truck driver responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "visual ability." The day-to-day duties of a heavy 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 heavy truck drivers do: "transport of mobile center to locations, transport-vehicle maintenance, mobile center operation, customer service, & audio/visual equipment troubleshooting. "

See the full list of heavy truck driver skills

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Compare different heavy truck drivers

Heavy truck driver vs. 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. They also inspect the packaging of items, ensuring that the products are free of any defects and immediately escalate damaged items to the management. A driver/mover checks the accuracy of inventory reports to determine the correct quantity of the delivered items before and after shipment to prevent client misunderstandings and complaints.

If we compare the average heavy truck driver annual salary with that of a driver/mover, we find that driver/movers typically earn a $22,052 lower salary than heavy truck drivers make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between heavy truck drivers and driver/movers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like cdl, drive trucks, and dollies.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a heavy truck driver are more likely to require skills like "safety rules," "hazmat," "dump truck," and "transport materials." On the other hand, a job as a driver/mover requires skills like "customer service," "equipment inventory," "complete paperwork," and "truck inspections." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Driver/movers really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $33,850. Comparatively, heavy truck drivers tend to make the most money in the transportation industry with an average salary of $55,691.The education levels that driver/movers earn slightly differ from heavy truck drivers. In particular, driver/movers are 2.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a heavy truck driver. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Heavy 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.

Cdl driver positions earn higher pay than heavy truck driver roles. They earn a $8,743 higher salary than heavy 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 heavy truck drivers and cdl drivers have skills such as "hazmat," "dump truck," and "hazardous materials. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that heavy truck driver responsibilities requires skills like "cdl," "safety rules," "transport materials," and "preventive maintenance." But a cdl driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "dot," "cdl-a," "customer service," and "pet."

On average, cdl drivers earn a higher salary than heavy truck drivers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, cdl drivers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $63,457. Whereas heavy truck drivers have higher pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $55,691.In general, cdl drivers achieve similar levels of education than heavy truck drivers. They're 1.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

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

Heavy 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.

An average driver eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of heavy truck drivers. The difference in salaries amounts to drivers earning a $19,598 lower average salary than heavy truck drivers.heavy truck drivers and drivers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cdl," "safety rules," and "hazmat," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, heavy truck drivers are more likely to have skills like "transport materials," "construction equipment," "preventive maintenance," and "shovels." But a driver is more likely to have skills like "math," "basic math," "cleanliness," and "customer orders."

Drivers make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $39,688. On the other hand, heavy truck drivers are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $55,691.Most drivers achieve a similar degree level compared to heavy truck drivers. For example, they're 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Heavy 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.

Local drivers average a lower salary than the annual salary of heavy truck drivers. The difference is about $6,209 per year.While both heavy truck drivers and local drivers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like cdl, hazmat, and hazardous materials, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "safety rules," "dump truck," "transport materials," and "construction equipment" are skills that commonly show up on heavy truck driver resumes. On the other hand, local drivers use skills like dot, customer service, pallet jack, and fmcsa on their resumes.local drivers enjoy the best pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $52,385. For comparison, heavy truck drivers earn the highest salary in the transportation industry.The average resume of local drivers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to heavy truck drivers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.0%.

Types of heavy 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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