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What does a transportation driver do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Don Lefeve
What does a transportation driver do

A transportation driver is responsible for transporting people and goods from one place to another. A transportation driver must have a clean driving record to operate vehicles carefully and efficiently. Transportation drivers must ensure that the passengers are safe and comfortable during the trip and that goods are in proper condition to avoid damage and defects. They should strictly adhere to the transport schedules and assigned routes to avoid delays of operations. A transportation driver should also understand maintenance basics of vehicles to perform repair and reconditioning of any engine malfunction.

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Transportation driver responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real transportation driver resumes:

  • Utilize CDL to transport elderly patients to doctor appointments, dining and recreation activities.
  • Maintain safe CDL driving record.
  • Haul chemicals OTR to customers assist in load and unload as needed
  • Certify in CPR, chauffeur license, perform administrative support functions.
  • Transport clients in a safe and professional manner; ability to understand maps and GPS
  • Assist in loading and unloading of van for patients with slight disabilities such as walkers, wheelchairs.
  • Take care of truck/trailer maintenance, watch product temp on the tanks, operate under FMCSA, customer service.
  • Transport various asphalt products from refinery to multiple states
  • Ensure vehicle cleanliness and decontaminate vehicle interior in between passengers.
  • Maintain cleanliness of bus interior ensuring a comfortable and pleasant environment.
  • Communicate with driving managers to ensure accurate routes and timely pickup and delivery.
  • Provide safe and prompt transport of ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients to dialysis and doctor 's
  • Transport patients who are either require wheelchair/stretcher transport from facility/home etc to their request destination.
  • Drive bobtail fuel trucks to and from locations.
  • Do a pre-trip on the bobtail after signing onto the tractor and also to make sure the bobtail is staged right.

Transportation driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 21% of Transportation Drivers are proficient in CDL, DOT, and Tractor Trailer. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hearing ability, Physical health, and Hand-eye coordination.

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

  • CDL, 21%

    Pick up and deliver class B CDL straight trucks of various types for the above companies on a subcontractor basis.

  • DOT, 15%

    Reviewed material, including DOT physicals, DOT regulated paperwork and company required paperwork for accuracy.

  • Tractor Trailer, 10%

    Operated semi-tractor trailer in the delivery of petroleum products from terminals to company accounts.

  • Hazmat, 5%

    Operate equipment IAW Federal State Local and Company Policies and LawsMovement of Liquid Hazmat and NonHazmat Chemicals

  • Post-Trip Inspections, 4%

    Performed pre-trip and post-trip inspections to ensure safety of vehicle and emergency equipment.

  • Cleanliness, 4%

    Ensured vehicle cleanliness and decontaminated vehicle interior in between passengers.

Common skills that a transportation driver uses to do their job include "cdl," "dot," and "tractor trailer." You can find details on the most important transportation driver responsibilities below.

Hearing ability. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a transportation driver to have is hearing ability. Their role and responsibilities require that "truck drivers need good hearing." Transportation drivers often use hearing ability in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "transport and deliver customer goods while adhearing to strict deadlines and safety regulations for professional drivers. "

Physical health. Many transportation 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 transportation driver will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways transportation driver responsibilities rely on physical health: "trained cpr, first aid, and sensitivity to the physical needs of the elderly and disabled. "

Hand-eye coordination. This is an important skill for transportation drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how transportation driver responsibilities depend on this skill, consider 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." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a transportation driver: "performed vehicle inspection, minor maintenance, and coordination of repairs for compliance with company and highway regulations. ".

Visual ability. For certain transportation driver responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "visual ability." The day-to-day duties of a transportation driver rely on this skill, as "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what transportation drivers do: "receive and tweak scheduling as needed for client visual reception maintain daily and weekly logs for mileage and vehicle maintenance. "

See the full list of transportation driver skills

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Compare different transportation drivers

Transportation 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.

We looked at the average transportation driver salary and compared it with the wages of a driver trainer. Generally speaking, driver trainers are paid $2,838 higher than transportation drivers per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both transportation driver and driver trainer positions are skilled in cdl, hazmat, and post-trip inspections.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, transportation driver responsibilities require skills like "dot," "tractor trailer," "cleanliness," and "patients." Meanwhile a typical driver trainer has skills in areas such as "dexterity," "training programs," "defensive driving," and "customer orders." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Driver trainers tend to reach similar levels of education than transportation drivers. In fact, driver trainers are 1.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Transportation 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.

On average, driver/movers earn a $10,919 lower salary than transportation drivers a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both transportation drivers and driver/movers have skills such as "cdl," "customer service," and "math. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real transportation driver resumes. While transportation driver responsibilities can utilize skills like "dot," "tractor trailer," "hazmat," and "post-trip inspections," driver/movers use skills like "equipment inventory," "complete paperwork," "truck inspections," and "office furniture."

In general, driver/movers achieve similar levels of education than transportation drivers. They're 1.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

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

Transportation driver vs. Commercial truck driver

A commercial truck driver is primarily in charge of transporting and delivering cargo, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities include driving for long durations, coordinating with logistics staff, handling documentation, and maintaining the safety of cargo. There are also instances where they must liaise with clients, unload and load cargo, and keep records of all transactions. Furthermore, as a commercial truck driver, it is essential to conduct regular maintenance checks on vehicles and adhere to the traffic laws and regulations for a safe and productive work environment.

On average scale, commercial truck drivers bring in higher salaries than transportation drivers. In fact, they earn a $21,276 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on transportation drivers and commercial truck drivers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "cdl," "hazmat," and "post-trip inspections.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a transportation driver is likely to be skilled in "dot," "tractor trailer," "cleanliness," and "patients," while a typical commercial truck driver is skilled in "good time management," "safety issues," "good communication," and "safety regulations."

Commercial truck drivers typically earn similar educational levels compared to transportation drivers. Specifically, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Transportation driver vs. Line haul driver

A line haul truck driver is in charge of transporting heavy materials using large vehicles such as tractor-trailers, ensuring timeliness and efficiency. Their responsibilities typically revolve around securing documents or invoices, adhering to specific routes, driving for long durations, liaising and building positive relationships with companies, and ensuring the safety and quality of all cargo. Furthermore, as a line haul truck driver, it is essential to abide by all the traffic laws and perform regular vehicle maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment.

Line haul drivers average a higher salary than the annual salary of transportation drivers. The difference is about $10,756 per year.While both transportation drivers and line haul drivers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like cdl, hazmat, and post-trip inspections, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between transportation drivers and line haul drivers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a transportation driver might have more use for skills like "dot," "tractor trailer," "patients," and "shuttle bus." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of line haul drivers require skills like "safety regulations," "line haul," "dot regulations," and "ltl. "

Line haul drivers reach similar levels of education compared to transportation drivers, in general. The difference is that they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of transportation 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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