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What does an over the road driver do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Don Lefeve
What does an over the road driver do

Over the road, (OTR) drivers are the truckers driving the big semi-trailer truck that hauls all types of goods to their destinations across the states. Their journey typically begins with loading the freight onto the trailer, requiring them to lift heavy materials and load the cargo properly to avoid shifting while in transit. They often sleep in the sleeper berth at a truck stop to eat, freshen up and refuel. They are allowed to go on a 30-minute break after an eight-hour drive.

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Over the road driver responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real over the road driver resumes:

  • Experience in semi driving, logging, managing bills of lading, light maintenance, vehicle inspections.
  • Work OTR reefer unit with assign trainer after CDL are obtained.
  • Comply with all FMCSA rules and regulations to maintain CDL-A status.
  • Train CDL driver responsible for OTR pick up and delivery of goods.
  • Transport domestic freight from customer to customer, and employ industry standard HAZMAT procedures.
  • Action resources is a HAZMAT company that have drivers locally and over the road.
  • Maintain vehicle logs, cargo manifest, and billing statements in accordance with FMCSA.
  • Chart out appropriate route using maps, GPS, and model and monitor the utilization of accurate driver's log.
  • Maintain telephone contact with supervisor or dispatcher to receive delivery or pickup instructions.
  • Provide transportation services for major commercial shipping customers, including Walmart and Budweiser.

Over the road driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 34% of Over The Road Drivers are proficient in CDL, PET, and Post-Trip Inspections. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Physical health, and Visual ability.

We break down the percentage of Over The Road Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CDL, 34%

    Maintained current Class A CDL with Hazardous Materials endorsement along with daily, legible DOT log books and corresponding documents.

  • PET, 8%

    Hauled Pet Feed, Landscaping Supplies Until My Physical Expired And Dr Refused To Renew.

  • Post-Trip Inspections, 7%

    Performed Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Inspections on tractor-trailer in accordance to DOT regulations.

  • Hazmat, 6%

    Conducted training for the Northwest region as a Coach specializing in HAZMAT, Dock Transport as well as Yard Truck Instructor.

  • Customer Service, 5%

    Provided customer service in continental United States by delivering refrigerated foods and beverages, showing persistence and dedication to my position.

  • Federal Regulations, 4%

    Maintained daily vehicle logs in accordance with federal regulations and reported any mechanical problems to company.

"cdl," "pet," and "post-trip inspections" are among the most common skills that over the road drivers use at work. You can find even more over the road driver responsibilities below, including:

Hand-eye coordination. The most essential soft skill for an over the road driver to carry out their responsibilities is hand-eye coordination. This skill is important for the role 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 over the road driver resume shows how their duties depend on hand-eye coordination: "manage inventory -write orders - driving safely and following dot regulations skills used organization, time management, customer service and coordination"

Physical health. Another essential skill to perform over the road driver duties is physical health. Over the road drivers responsibilities require that "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." Over the road drivers also use physical health in their role according to a real resume snippet: "performed in a physical and very fast paced environment at customer stops, retail and sales opportunities fulfilled, customer service. "

Visual ability. This is an important skill for over the road drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how over the road 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 over the road driver: "maintained education in successfully, handling hazardous materials; visually recognized colored labels and placards. ".

All over the road driver skills

The three companies that hire the most over the road drivers are:

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Compare different over the road drivers

Over the road 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.

We looked at the average over the road driver salary and compared it with the wages of a truck driver-over-the-road. Generally speaking, truck driver-over the roads are paid $7,039 higher than over the road drivers per year.Even though over the road drivers and truck driver-over the roads are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require cdl, pet, and post-trip inspections in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, over the road driver responsibilities require skills like "ltl," "cleanliness," "safety inspections," and "semi." Meanwhile a typical truck driver-over-the-road has skills in areas such as "otr," "work ethic," "taking care," and "macro." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Truck driver-over the roads tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $67,303. In contrast, over the road drivers make the biggest average salary, $62,648, in the manufacturing industry.truck driver-over the roads tend to reach similar levels of education than over the road drivers. In fact, truck driver-over the roads are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Over the road driver vs. Driver/mover

A driver/mover is responsible for preparing and arranging items for delivery from the distribution center to assigned destinations. Driver/movers assist with loading and unloading merchandise using various warehouse tools and equipment. They also inspect the packaging of items, ensuring that the products are free of any defects and immediately escalate damaged items to the management. A driver/mover checks the accuracy of inventory reports to determine the correct quantity of the delivered items before and after shipment to prevent client misunderstandings and complaints.

Driver/mover positions earn lower pay than over the road driver roles. They earn a $29,802 lower salary than over the road drivers per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Over the road drivers and driver/movers both require similar skills like "cdl," "customer service," and "dollies" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, over the road driver responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "pet," "post-trip inspections," "hazmat," and "federal regulations." Meanwhile, a driver/mover has duties that require skills in areas such as "equipment inventory," "complete paperwork," "truck inspections," and "office furniture." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, driver/movers earn a lower salary than over the road drivers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, driver/movers earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $33,850. Whereas over the road drivers have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $62,648.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Driver/movers tend to reach similar levels of education than over the road drivers. In fact, they're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for over the road drivers in the next 3-5 years?

Don LefeveDon Lefeve LinkedIn profile

President & Chairman of the Board, CVTA

Technology is changing very fast, which is great news for trucking (and all transportation) as it's making vehicles safer. The next 3-5 years will see the expansion of electric vehicles, better safety systems, and greater efficiency in transportation networks. While autonomous technology is advancing rapidly, it will not replace humans anytime soon. Certainly not in the next 3-5 years. There's a lot of testing, security concerns, and limitations that need to be worked out. Beyond the next five years, as technology continues advancing, and jobs will change and be enhanced, but driving jobs will not be replaced by machines. Like airline pilots, the technology relies upon humans, and the human will retain a central role in the control of the truck because we possess the fastest, most capable computers of all -- our brains. I think driver training will always be required, and in fact, it will likely expand to cover not only the fundamentals but also incorporate more technical training centered around autonomous systems and how to operate them.

Over the road driver vs. Tractor-trailer driver

A tractor-trailer driver is responsible for picking up and delivering goods and services from distribution centers and warehouses to different locations across the country as required. Tractor-trailer drivers manage the best route planning to prevent delays. They should also have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, inspecting the vehicle's condition regularly, repairing any inconsistencies, and replacing defective components to ensure smooth operations. A tractor-trailer driver must have excellent communication and organizational skills, responding to the clients' inquiries and concerns and escalating complaints to management for immediate resolution.

On average scale, tractor-trailer drivers bring in lower salaries than over the road drivers. In fact, they earn a $3,621 lower salary per year.over the road drivers and tractor-trailer drivers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cdl," "post-trip inspections," and "hazmat," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, over the road drivers are more likely to have skills like "pet," "dot regulations," "cleanliness," and "federal motor." But a tractor-trailer driver is more likely to have skills like "dot," "otr," "commercial vehicles," and "tractor-trailer truck."

Tractor-trailer drivers make a very good living in the transportation industry with an average annual salary of $58,745. On the other hand, over the road drivers are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $62,648.tractor-trailer drivers typically earn similar educational levels compared to over the road drivers. Specifically, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Over the road driver vs. Professional truck driver

Professional truck drivers have skills in communication, organization, and navigation, as well as a motivated personality and a good sense of responsibility. Their services are absolutely essential, with the most basic task being driving commercial trucks for transportation of goods and materials to distribution centers. Truck drivers transport everything from automobiles to produce to machinery.

Professional truck drivers average a lower salary than the annual salary of over the road drivers. The difference is about $13,542 per year.According to resumes from over the road drivers and professional truck drivers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "cdl," "post-trip inspections," and "hazmat. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "pet," "customer service," "ltl," and "cleanliness" are skills that commonly show up on over the road driver resumes. On the other hand, professional truck drivers use skills like on-time delivery, otr, pickup, and trip logs on their resumes.professional truck drivers enjoy the best pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $56,975. For comparison, over the road drivers earn the highest salary in the manufacturing industry.In general, professional truck drivers hold similar degree levels compared to over the road drivers. Professional truck drivers are 0.0% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of over the road driver

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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