What does a line haul driver do?
A line haul truck driver is in charge of transporting heavy materials using large vehicles such as tractor-trailers, ensuring timeliness and efficiency. Their responsibilities typically revolve around securing documents or invoices, adhering to specific routes, driving for long durations, liaising and building positive relationships with companies, and ensuring the safety and quality of all cargo. Furthermore, as a line haul truck driver, it is essential to abide by all the traffic laws and perform regular vehicle maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
Line haul driver responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real line haul driver resumes:
- 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.
- Shovel blacktop and asphalt products to maintain road and surface areas.
- Check all bills for HAZMAT verifying all information are documented and trailers are placarded correctly.
- Transport heavy haul, road base, sand, gravel, hot asphalt and water to construction sites.
- Obtain and maintain proper delivery authorization and pickup documentation.
- Provide transportation services for major commercial shipping customers, including Walmart and Budweiser.
Line haul driver skills and personality traits
We calculated that 25% of Line Haul Drivers are proficient in CDL, Hazmat, and Safety Regulations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Hearing ability, and Physical health.
We break down the percentage of Line Haul Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 25%
Haul over size loads haul small equipment operate a dump truck and pull a tanker CDL class A with Tank endorsement
- Hazmat, 10%
Checked all bills for HAZMAT verifying all information was documented and trailers were placarded correctly.
- Safety Regulations, 6%
Maintained driver log according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
- Post-Trip Inspections, 6%
Performed Pre-Trip and Post-Trip inspections.
- Hazardous Materials, 5%
Follow all state and federal regulations concerning hazardous materials.
- Line Haul, 5%
Line haul tandem operation responsible for shuttles of two 48 Ft. trailers to and from the Family Dollar distribution center.
Most line haul drivers use their skills in "cdl," "hazmat," and "safety regulations" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential line haul driver responsibilities here:
Hand-eye coordination. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a line haul driver to have is hand-eye coordination. Their role and responsibilities require that "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." Line haul drivers often use hand-eye coordination in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "completed dot regulations in permits and specific route coordination's. "
Hearing ability. Many line haul driver duties rely on hearing ability. "truck drivers need good hearing," so a line haul driver will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways line haul driver responsibilities rely on hearing ability: "transport and deliver customer goods while adhearing to strict deadlines and safety regulations for professional drivers. "
Physical health. line haul drivers are also known for physical health, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to line haul driver responsibilities, 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." A line haul driver resume example shows how physical health is used in the workplace: "have current a3 cdl and health card. "
The three companies that hire the most line haul drivers are:
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Compare different line haul drivers
Line haul 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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a line haul driver are more likely to require skills like "line haul," "ltl," "local regulations," and "unload freight." On the other hand, a job as a truck driver-over-the-road requires skills like "pet," "work ethic," "taking care," and "macro." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Truck driver-over the roads really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $67,303. Comparatively, line haul drivers tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $53,344.On average, truck driver-over the roads reach similar levels of education than line haul drivers. Truck driver-over the roads are 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Line haul driver vs. Driver trainer
Driver trainers are instructors who teach their clients how to drive. They are often considered experts in driving, and they are credible enough to impart their driving knowledge to clients. They teach their clients the basics of handling a car, the different actions one takes while driving, and the meaning of different street signs. They guide their clients during driving lessons and provide feedback so that their clients can improve. At times, driver trainers also handle driving tests and would rate the clients on their driving skills.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real line haul driver resumes. While line haul driver responsibilities can utilize skills like "line haul," "ltl," "local regulations," and "unload freight," driver trainers use skills like "dexterity," "training programs," "defensive driving," and "customer orders."
Driver trainers earn a lower average salary than line haul drivers. But driver trainers earn the highest pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $41,269. Additionally, line haul drivers earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $53,344 annually.driver trainers earn similar levels of education than line haul drivers in general. They're 1.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for line haul drivers in the next 3-5 years?
Don Lefeve
President & Chairman of the Board, CVTA
Line haul driver vs. Class a driver
A Class A driver is an individual driver who has acquired a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate trucks or commercial vehicles to transport materials and heavy equipment. Class A drivers are required to plan over-the-road (OTR) travel by using GPS and ensure that they follow bulk cargo transportation laws, regulations, and guidelines. They must conduct proper maintenance of the company vehicles and provide accurate daily logs to stay in compliance with the company's regulations. Class A drivers should also know how to operate equipment such as citizen band (CB) radios and telephones.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from line haul driver resumes include skills like "line haul," "local regulations," "unload freight," and "pickup," whereas a class a driver is more likely to list skills in "pallets," "pet," "punctuality," and "customer locations. "
Class a drivers earn the highest salary when working in the transportation industry, where they receive an average salary of $60,830. Comparatively, line haul drivers have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $53,344.When it comes to education, class a drivers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to line haul drivers. In fact, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Line haul driver vs. Company driver
A company driver helps an organization with all transport-related duties and ensures that these are carried out on time. Company drivers transport and deliver goods, equipment, products, and staff members to locations required by the organization. They maintain the cleanliness of their vehicles and are responsible for informing the organization about repairs and maintenance. Company drivers must also obtain the appropriate licenses and should have clean driving records with no accidents and traffic violations.
Types of line haul driver
Updated January 8, 2025
