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What does a transport truck driver do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Don Lefeve

A transport truck driver is in charge of managing and transporting goods from one place to another, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities typically revolve around loading and unloading packages, managing and handling documents, liaising with clients, and performing inspections to ensure the quality of goods. Furthermore, like a transport truck driver, it is essential to perform regular vehicle maintenance checks and abide by the traffic laws to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.

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Transport truck driver responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real transport truck driver resumes:

  • Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
  • Certify CDL with all endorsements.
  • Deliver loads in tractor/trailer OTR in timely manner.
  • Prompt delivery of materials using GPS navigation software
  • Follow GPS directives and maintain in constant communication with dispatch when necessary.
  • Check all load documentation for accuracy, inspect load and receive required signatures for pickup and delivery.
  • Keep track of logs, miles, and bol's.

Transport truck driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 54% of Transport Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, Traffic Violations, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Hearing ability, and Physical health.

We break down the percentage of Transport Truck Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CDL, 54%

    Maintain Commercial Driver's License (CDL) in order to operate tactical and non-tactical vehicles.

  • Traffic Violations, 22%

    Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage before and after route.

  • Customer Service, 8%

    Provided top-notch customer service to clients answering their questions and providing additional information as needed.

  • Customer Locations, 6%

    radio dispatched from customer locations.

  • Emergency Equipment, 4%

    Performed safety check of vehicles before driving to ensure mechanical safety and emergency equipment in good working order.

  • Safety Procedures, 3%

    Obtained Hazmat Certification and possess extensive knowledge of safety procedures.

"cdl," "traffic violations," and "customer service" are among the most common skills that transport truck drivers use at work. You can find even more transport truck driver responsibilities below, including:

Hand-eye coordination. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a transport truck driver to have is hand-eye coordination. Their role and responsibilities require that "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." Transport truck drivers often use hand-eye coordination in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "performed vehicle inspection, minor maintenance, and coordination of repairs for compliance with company and highway regulations. "

Hearing ability. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling transport truck driver duties is hearing ability. The role rewards competence in this skill because "truck drivers need good hearing." According to a transport truck driver resume, here's how transport truck drivers can utilize hearing ability in their job responsibilities: "transport and deliver customer goods while adhearing to strict deadlines and safety regulations for professional drivers. "

Physical health. This is an important skill for transport truck drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how transport truck driver responsibilities depend on this skill, consider 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." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a transport truck driver: "transport of hazardous materials and products that pose a risk to health safety and property. ".

Most common transport truck driver skills

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Compare different transport truck drivers

Transport truck driver vs. Driver trainer

Driver trainers are instructors who teach their clients how to drive. They are often considered experts in driving, and they are credible enough to impart their driving knowledge to clients. They teach their clients the basics of handling a car, the different actions one takes while driving, and the meaning of different street signs. They guide their clients during driving lessons and provide feedback so that their clients can improve. At times, driver trainers also handle driving tests and would rate the clients on their driving skills.

If we compare the average transport truck driver annual salary with that of a driver trainer, we find that driver trainers typically earn a $11,862 lower salary than transport truck drivers make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both transport truck driver and driver trainer positions are skilled in cdl, traffic violations, and customer service.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a transport truck driver are more likely to require skills like "safety procedures," "asphalt," "alertness," and "transport materials." On the other hand, a job as a driver trainer requires skills like "dexterity," "training programs," "defensive driving," and "hazmat." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Driver trainers really shine in the transportation industry with an average salary of $41,269. Comparatively, transport truck drivers tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $57,781.driver trainers tend to reach similar levels of education than transport truck drivers. In fact, driver trainers are 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Transport 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.

Driver positions earn lower pay than transport truck driver roles. They earn a $23,165 lower salary than transport truck drivers per year.A few skills overlap for transport truck drivers and drivers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "cdl," "traffic violations," and "customer service. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that transport truck driver responsibilities requires skills like "asphalt," "alertness," "transport materials," and "gvw." But a driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "math," "basic math," "safety rules," and "cleanliness."

Drivers earn a lower average salary than transport truck drivers. But drivers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $39,688. Additionally, transport truck drivers earn the highest salaries in the energy with average pay of $57,781 annually.In general, drivers achieve similar levels of education than transport truck drivers. They're 0.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for transport truck 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.

Transport 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.

On average, cdl drivers earn higher salaries than transport truck drivers, with a $5,176 difference per year.transport truck drivers and cdl drivers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "traffic violations," "customer service," and "customer locations," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a transport truck driver is likely to be skilled in "cdl," "transport materials," "gvw," and "customer issues," while a typical cdl driver is skilled in "dot," "cdl-a," "pet," and "hazmat."

Cdl drivers earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $63,457. Transport truck drivers earn the highest pay from the energy industry, with an average salary of $57,781.Most cdl drivers achieve a similar degree level compared to transport truck drivers. For example, they're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Transport truck driver vs. Local driver

A local driver is responsible for transporting people and goods and services from the distribution centers to various destinations. Local drivers operate vehicles and inspect the engine for any inconsistencies and system defects that may cause delays with the operations. They also schedule vehicle maintenance and repairs, keeping a record of receipts for the management's validation. A local driver must have excellent driving skills and a clean driving record. Additionally, a local driver should possess excellent communication skills, especially on handling customers' inquiries and concerns and escalating high-level complaints.

Local drivers tend to earn a lower pay than transport truck drivers by an average of $9,776 per year.According to resumes from transport truck drivers and local drivers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "cdl," "traffic violations," and "customer service. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "safety procedures," "asphalt," "alertness," and "state regulations" are skills that commonly show up on transport truck driver resumes. On the other hand, local drivers use skills like dot, pallet jack, hazmat, and fmcsa on their resumes.local drivers enjoy the best pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $52,385. For comparison, transport truck drivers earn the highest salary in the energy industry.local drivers reach similar levels of education compared to transport truck drivers, in general. The difference is that they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of transport truck 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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