How To Become A Line Haul Driver: What It Is and Career Path

What is a line haul driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Line haul drivers operate tractor-trailers. They drive along specific routes and move goods from one warehouse or location to another. While performing their jobs, line haul drivers may also help to load and unload the freight.

As a line haul driver, they may deliver cargo to the same destinations, so they build a relationship over time. They are also required to follow Department of Transport regulations for their and other road users' safety.

Line haul drivers are quite different from long haul drivers. Long haul drivers are on the road for longer periods, maybe weeks or months. Line haul drivers, however, get to go home frequently, often after every day's shift. Because of the job's regular shift nature, line haul driving has been dubbed the nine-five of trucking.

To become a line haul driver, applicants need a commercial driver's license. Some organizations may also require a HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) endorsement.

ScoreLine Haul DriverUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,992

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 3.59%

Black or African American 12.13%

Hispanic or Latino 17.22%

Unknown 4.66%

White 61.60%

Gender

female 9.22%

male 90.78%

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 line haul driver

Explore line haul driver education requirements

Most common line haul driver degrees

High School Diploma

41.5 %

Associate

16.7 %

Certificate

13.8 %

Start to develop specific line haul driver skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	25.04%
Hazmat	9.55%
Safety Regulations	6.18%
Post-Trip Inspections	6.15%
Hazardous Materials	5.47%

Complete relevant line haul driver training and internships

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

Obtain the necessary licensing

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

Include: CDL, haz-mat, doubles and triples )
Keep CDL current with endorsement for double/triple trailers.
DOT log compliance and other require paper work.
FAST card approve and have doubles and triples and HazMat endorsements.

Prepare your line haul driver resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your line haul 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 line haul 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 line haul driver resume templates

Build a professional line haul 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 line haul driver resume.