What does a local truck driver do?
A local truck driver is an employee who drives a company truck to transport goods to and from specified locations within a designated geographic area. Local truck drivers must ensure that the transported goods are well-secured and not damaged during the transit. They must liaise with dispatch to communicate any traffic issues and delays as well as notify the management of any accidents or vehicle damage. Local truck drivers must also assist in loading and unloading of goods by using hand trucks and electric lifts as required.
Local truck driver responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real local truck driver resumes:
- 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
- Navigate route using maps and GPS.
- Obtain CDL and deliver products to local stores
- Chart out appropriate route using maps and GPS.
- Prepare accident reports in compliance with company and OSHA safety requirements.
- Haul general commodities such as steel, pipes, and coils.
- Dedicate run to phoenix Arizona (OTR), drop and hook.
- Deliver hazmat material to local storage facilities within the Houston, Texas area.
- Assist in loading/unloading as necessary & maintains driver log according to FMCSA regulations.
- Transport passengers safely with disabilities including mobility devices, canes and walkers.
- Perform vehicle safety check before departure; report any safety concerns immediately to FedEx management.
- Deliver FedEx packages to establish residential and businesses accounts on an assign route in a timely and professional manner.
Local truck driver skills and personality traits
We calculated that 52% of Local Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, Customer Service, and OTR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hearing ability, Physical health, and Hand-eye coordination.
We break down the percentage of Local Truck Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 52%
Clean driving record with Class A CDL
- Customer Service, 10%
Learned and demonstrated Customer Service Standards for delivery service.
- OTR, 9%
Worked local and OTR deliveries.
- Hazmat, 6%
Picked up and delivered freight Truck maintenance Driver dispatch Hazmat certified
- PET, 4%
Traveled across the nation delivering tankers of pet supplies to destinations such as Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, and South Carolina
- Pallet Jack, 3%
Operated electric/manual pallet jacks, while delivering goods to independent businesses.
"cdl," "customer service," and "otr" are among the most common skills that local truck drivers use at work. You can find even more local truck driver responsibilities below, including:
Hearing ability. The most essential soft skill for a local 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 local truck driver resume shows how their duties depend on hearing ability: "provided clients with transportation to their medical appointments including therapy, dentistry, hearing and dialysis. "
Physical health. Many local truck driver duties rely on physical health. "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," so a local truck driver will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways local truck driver responsibilities rely on physical health: "hook to empty tanker conduct dot pre trip inspection of trailer and check for current wash tag and health sticker. "
Hand-eye coordination. local truck drivers are also known for hand-eye coordination, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to local truck driver responsibilities, because "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." A local truck driver resume example shows how hand-eye coordination is used in the workplace: "completed dot regulations in permits and specific route coordination's. "
Visual ability. local truck driver responsibilities often require "visual ability." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." This resume example shows what local truck drivers do with visual ability on a typical day: "performed visual vehicle inspection daily. "
The three companies that hire the most local truck drivers are:
- J.B. Hunt Transport Services2,109 local truck drivers jobs
- Roehl Transport1,007 local truck drivers jobs
- US Foods617 local truck drivers jobs
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Compare different local truck drivers
Local truck driver vs. Mixer driver
A mixer driver is responsible for operating mixer trucks to deliver construction materials and concrete mixtures to construction and industrial site. Mixer drivers must inspect the condition of the truck's engine before and after operations to ensure its stability and performance that would prevent operational delays and avoid potential hazards. They should also dispense the mixtures properly and clean spills after delivery. A mixer driver must have excellent organizational skills to control the truck safely and ensure that the correct materials are delivered.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a local truck driver are more likely to require skills like "otr," "hazmat," "pet," and "pallet jack." On the other hand, a job as a mixer driver requires skills like "dot," "ladders," "truck equipment," and "cleanliness." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Mixer drivers really shine in the construction industry with an average salary of $51,169. Comparatively, local truck drivers tend to make the most money in the transportation industry with an average salary of $60,236.mixer drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than local truck drivers. In fact, mixer drivers are 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Local truck 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, local truck driver responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "local truck," "harvest," "straight truck," and "ltl." Meanwhile, a truck driver-over-the-road has duties that require skills in areas such as "work ethic," "fmcsa," "taking care," and "macro." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Truck driver-over the roads may earn a higher salary than local truck drivers, but truck driver-over the roads earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $67,303. On the other hand, local truck drivers receive higher pay in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $60,236.truck driver-over the roads earn similar levels of education than local truck drivers in general. They're 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for local truck drivers in the next 3-5 years?
Don Lefeve
President & Chairman of the Board, CVTA
Local truck driver vs. Contract driver
A contract driver mainly provides transport services on a contractual basis. Their duties typically depend on their contract or place of employment; they may deliver goods or provide private transport to clients. When it comes to delivering goods, a contract driver must adhere to schedules and guidelines, maintain documents, and coordinate with clients. Furthermore, a contract driver must perform regular maintenance checks on their vehicles and abide by the traffic laws and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, local truck drivers are more likely to have skills like "pet," "local truck," "post-trip inspections," and "landing gear." But a contract driver is more likely to have skills like "dot," "tractor trailer," "on-time deliveries," and "delivery route."
When it comes to education, contract drivers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to local truck drivers. In fact, they're 2.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Local truck driver vs. Cdl class a driver
A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.
Types of local truck driver
Updated January 8, 2025
