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

What is a log truck driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average log truck driver salary is $44,913. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a log truck driver. Log truck drivers with a Commercial Driver License (CDL) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 90,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreLog Truck DriverUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $44,913

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.79%

Asian 3.52%

Black or African American 12.65%

Hispanic or Latino 14.94%

Unknown 4.62%

White 63.49%

Gender

female 7.03%

male 92.97%

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 log truck driver

Explore log truck driver education requirements

Most common log truck driver degrees

High School Diploma

59.5 %

Associate

11.1 %

Diploma

11.1 %

Start to develop specific log truck driver skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	45.10%
Pickup	12.06%
Federal Regulations	9.63%
CB	8.83%
Log Book	7.21%

Complete relevant log truck driver training and internships

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

Obtain the necessary licensing

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

Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
Check all load documentation for accuracy, inspect load and receive required signatures for pickup and delivery.
Keep track of logs, miles, and bol's.

Prepare your log truck driver resume

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

Build a professional log 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 log truck driver resume.