What does an operator and truck driver do?
An operator and truck driver is responsible for the safe and efficient transport of goods and services within a particular area. One must have the skills and credentials, such as a license for driving large vehicles, and stamina for the long drives. Aside from this, they must also abide by the traffic rules and regulations at all times, even conducting regular maintenance checks to ensure that the vehicle is in good condition. Furthermore, an operator and truck driver must coordinate with clients and other workers to ensure that all deliveries are accurate and timely.
Operator and truck driver responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real operator and truck driver resumes:
- Operate farm equipment completing tasks such as tilling, planting, mowing, and fertilizing.
- Transport domestic, ocean, air-freight and various types of hazardous materials for Midwest LTL and OTR carrier.
- Perform all duties according to FMCSA.
- Drive a non CDL truck to deliver slabs to fabricators.
- Operate dump truck hauling asphalt, move heavy equipment from work sites
- Comply with hours of service regulations as it pertains to FMCSA.
- Learned to perform maintenance and repairs on heavy equipment and CDL vehicles.
- Used GPS surveying equipment and software for job site staking and calculating material quantities.
- Haul a variety of equipment, materials, and other HAZMAT substances from one location to another.
- Operate various pieces of heavy equipment as needed, including: dozer, loader, and excavator.
- Communicate with customers to unload/load products and apply protection gear and tie downs to follow all dot regulations
- Push and pull dollies into place and crank lever to raise and lower landing gear on semi-trailers.
- Transport feed from farm to dairies, manure to farm, and drive in field during harvest.
- Warehouse forklift operator, OTR deliveries or new automobiles
- Haul specific over-size and HAZMAT loads for Military/Government contracts.
Operator and truck driver skills and personality traits
We calculated that 49% of Operators And Truck Driver are proficient in CDL, OTR, and DOT. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Physical health, and Visual ability.
We break down the percentage of Operators And Truck Driver that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 49%
Hold a current class A, CDL with NPT endorsements, TWICS card, DOT physical, and NCCER certifications
- OTR, 15%
Transported domestic, ocean, air-freight and various types of hazardous materials for Midwest LTL and OTR carrier.
- DOT, 12%
Maintain DOT operations rules and regulation operations standards.
- Hazmat, 11%
Haul specific over-sized and HAZMAT loads for Military/Government contracts.
- Customer Service, 8%
Communicate with customers to determine pick-up or delivery needs -Demonstrate internal and external customer service.
- Dump Truck, 1%
Operated tandem-axle dump truck requiring commercial drivers license.
Most operators and truck driver use their skills in "cdl," "otr," and "dot" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential operator and truck driver responsibilities here:
Hand-eye coordination. One of the key soft skills for an operator and truck driver to have is hand-eye coordination. You can see how this relates to what operators and truck driver do 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." Additionally, an operator and truck driver resume shows how operators and truck driver use hand-eye coordination: "assist with route planning coordination and trip planning. "
Physical health. Many operator and 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 an operator and truck driver will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways operator and truck driver responsibilities rely on physical health: "obtained dot physical card, fork lift certification and gained knowledge of grade interpretation through plans and flat work set up. "
Visual ability. This is an important skill for operators and truck driver to perform their duties. For an example of how operator and truck driver responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an operator and truck driver: "conduct and, if applicable document, pre and post vehicle inspections, site inspections and visual tank inspections. ".
The three companies that hire the most operator and truck drivers are:
- XPO Logistics
2,455 operators and truck driver jobs
- Dunavant1,384 operators and truck driver jobs
- Schneider486 operators and truck driver jobs
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Compare different operators and truck driver
Operator and truck driver vs. Driver/owner operator
Driver/owner-operators are self-employed commercial truck drivers who operate trucks to transport goods for their customers. Most of these operators started working as drivers for trucking companies to gain experience and decide if it's the right career path for them. They are allowed to haul freelance or agree to a lease agreement dedicating their equipment to one product or customer. To become an owner-operator, one should consider many things, including business set-up, vehicle type, and licenses.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, operator and truck driver responsibilities require skills like "customer service," "load trucks," "backhoe," and "dozer." Meanwhile a typical driver/owner operator has skills in areas such as "pet," "eagle," "qualcomm," and "vehicle maintenance." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Driver/owner operators really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $155,268. Comparatively, operators and truck driver tend to make the most money in the transportation industry with an average salary of $191,534.On average, driver/owner operators reach similar levels of education than operators and truck driver. Driver/owner operators are 0.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Operator and truck driver vs. Equipment operator
Equipment operators are employees who are assigned to work on specific company equipment. They are skilled workers trained to handle all aspects of the particular equipment, from basic operating to repairing. They use the equipment and ensure that safety standards are being followed. Aside from managing the equipment, they are also in charge of repairs and maintenance. They are responsible for ensuring that the machine works properly, troubleshooting if there are challenges encountered, and repairing any problems. Equipment operators are reliable, trustworthy, and attentive.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real operator and truck driver resumes. While operator and truck driver responsibilities can utilize skills like "otr," "dot," "dozer," and "straight truck," equipment operators use skills like "loaders," "asphalt," "hand tools," and "safety rules."
On average, equipment operators earn a lower salary than operators and truck driver. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, equipment operators earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $38,765. Whereas operators and truck driver have higher pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $191,534.In general, equipment operators achieve similar levels of education than operators and truck driver. They're 0.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Operator and truck driver vs. Driver
Drivers are responsible for safely transporting people, packages, or goods from one destination to another. They should be familiar with the different routes that may be taken to reach the desired goal. They should be expert navigators and may use navigation apps to help them along the way. They should also be familiar with the basic mechanics of the vehicle they are using and the proper maintenance and cleaning needed to ensure that the car is running well. Drivers are expected to have excellent customer relation skills, a strong sense of direction, and superb organizations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, operators and truck driver are more likely to have skills like "load trucks," "backhoe," "dozer," and "front end loader." But a driver is more likely to have skills like "math," "basic math," "safety rules," and "cleanliness."
Drivers make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $39,688. On the other hand, operators and truck driver are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $191,534.When it comes to education, drivers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to operators and truck driver. In fact, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Operator and truck driver vs. Cdl driver
A CDL driver is responsible for the transportation of goods from the manufacturing warehouse to specific store locations. CDL drivers' duties include inspecting the items before and after the delivery to ensure that the orders are correct with the right quantity, providing proof of delivery from the receiving customers, following the delivery schedule and report any delays immediately, monitoring the vehicle's engine for efficiency, and escalating concerns of incorrect deliveries and defective items. A CDL driver must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills, following safety procedures and road rules at all times.
Updated January 8, 2025
