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

What is a local truck driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A local truck driver operates a truck within a specific geographic area, usually within a 100-mile radius of their home base. They transport goods to warehouses, retail stores, and distribution centers. Local truck drivers work regular hours and return home daily. They provide safe and timely deliveries and adhere to traffic laws. Local truck drivers must maintain accurate records of their trips and ensure proper vehicle maintenance.

ScoreLocal Truck DriverUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $59,069

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.77%

Asian 3.41%

Black or African American 13.66%

Hispanic or Latino 16.90%

Unknown 4.55%

White 60.70%

Gender

female 9.30%

male 90.70%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a local truck driver?

Pros

Familiarity with local roads and routes
Ability to establish relationships with regular customers
Potential for overtime pay
Fewer regulations to comply with compared to long-haul driving
Generally easier to obtain a local driving job compared to long-haul driving

Cons

Lower pay compared to long-haul driving
May require more frequent loading and unloading of cargo
Limited opportunities for advancement or career growth compared to long-haul driving
May be required to drive in challenging weather conditions such as snow, ice, or heavy rain
Local routes may change frequently, requiring constant adaptation and learning new routes.

Key steps to become a local truck driver

Explore local truck driver education requirements

Most common local truck driver degrees

High School Diploma

40.4 %

Associate

17.6 %

Diploma

16.8 %

Start to develop specific local truck driver skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	51.68%
Customer Service	9.99%
OTR	9.14%
Hazmat	6.36%
PET	3.62%

Complete relevant local truck driver training and internships

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

Obtain the necessary licensing

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

Train driver in safety regulations and teach HAZMAT classes.
Stay compliant with FMCSA, TSA and FAA
Work local and OTR deliveries.
cross dock worker local ltl driver

Prepare your local truck driver resume

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

Build a professional local 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 local truck driver resume.