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What does a Truck Driver Class A do?

Updated January 8, 2025
9 min read
Quoted Expert
Don Lefeve
What does a Truck Driver Class A do

The responsibilities of a Truck Driver Class A mainly revolves around driving heavy vehicles and ensuring that all transported goods meet the expected delivery deadlines and quality. The Driver needs to have a Class A license and be emotionally and physically healthy to qualify. Among the duties of a Truck Driver Class A will also revolve around securing and monitoring the quantity and quality of items, maintaining the vehicle in good condition, abide by the traffic rules and regulations, adhere to the company standards and policies, and have precise coordination with every workforce involved.

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Truck driver class a responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real truck driver class a resumes:

  • Manage and execute standard operations of a semi-tractor trailer for OTR drop and hook services.
  • Help maintain cleanliness of warehouse.
  • Have experience with paper logs and the QUALCOMM.
  • Assist with maintaining the overall cleanliness of the exterior grounds.
  • Deliver propane tanks to assign stores throughout the local counties.
  • Operate tractor and tanker trailer to deliver propane to bulk customers
  • Deliver pet supplies to chain stores, co-ops, and vets.
  • Obtain and holds HazMat, double/triple trailer, and tanker endorsements.
  • Contract as a dedicate driver to a major roofing supply distributor.
  • Pick up and deliver freight on a daily basis for a regional OTR company.
  • Plan or adjust routes base on changing conditions, using computer equipment or GPS systems.
  • Haul various products using 48' and 53' dry van and flatb trailers after completing CDL certification
  • Train to get cdl/gain CDL, document times, materials, locations for deliveries, and make tickets.
  • Chart out appropriate route using maps and GPS to maximize fuel economy, safety, and time commitments.
  • Utilize the computerized QUALCOMM communication system.

Truck driver class a skills and personality traits

We calculated that 39% of Truck Drivers Class A are proficient in CDL, PET, and OTR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Hearing ability, and Physical health.

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

  • CDL, 39%

    Truck Driver CDL Class B with Tanker Endorsement Responsibilities SCHEDULED CEMENT DELIVERIES to residential and commercial construction sites.

  • PET, 28%

    Drive truck semi local Deliver to Pet supplies Plus

  • OTR, 8%

    Transport cargo from state to state, OTR 48 states to different companies, Drove a Tractor Trailer

  • Hazmat, 5%

    Load and unload Liquid HazMat.

  • Customer Service, 5%

    Provided excellent customer service by delivering loads in a timely and efficient manner with minimal delays.

  • DOT Regulations, 4%

    Experienced with requirements of working in construction areas-Implemented safe driving practices to and from sites-Personally maintained the tractor trailer to DOT standards

"cdl," "pet," and "otr" are among the most common skills that truck drivers class a use at work. You can find even more truck driver class a responsibilities below, including:

Hand-eye coordination. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a truck driver class a 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." Truck drivers class a often use hand-eye coordination in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "second to none manual dexterity with superb hand eye coordination and physical strength. "

Hearing ability. Many truck driver class a duties rely on hearing ability. "truck drivers need good hearing," so a truck driver class a will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways truck driver class a responsibilities rely on hearing ability: "transport and deliver customer goods while adhearing to strict deadlines and safety regulations for professional drivers. "

Physical health. This is an important skill for truck drivers class a to perform their duties. For an example of how truck driver class a 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 truck driver class a: "hauled pet feed, landscaping supplies until my physical expired and dr refused to renew. ".

Visual ability. truck driver class a responsibilities often require "visual ability." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." This resume example shows what truck drivers class a do with visual ability on a typical day: "maintained education in successfully, handling hazardous materials; visually recognized colored labels and placards. "

See the full list of truck driver class a skills

The three companies that hire the most truck driver class as are:

Choose from 10+ customizable truck driver class a resume templates

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Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume
Truck Driver Class A Resume

Compare different truck drivers class a

Truck driver class a vs. Class a driver

A Class A driver is an individual driver who has acquired a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate trucks or commercial vehicles to transport materials and heavy equipment. Class A drivers are required to plan over-the-road (OTR) travel by using GPS and ensure that they follow bulk cargo transportation laws, regulations, and guidelines. They must conduct proper maintenance of the company vehicles and provide accurate daily logs to stay in compliance with the company's regulations. Class A drivers should also know how to operate equipment such as citizen band (CB) radios and telephones.

The annual salary of class a drivers is $6,650 lower than the average salary of truck drivers class a.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between truck drivers class a and class a drivers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like cdl, pet, and otr.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between truck drivers class a and class a driver. For instance, truck driver class a responsibilities require skills such as "pallet jack," "perseverance," "mile radius," and "good time management." Whereas a class a driver is skilled in "delivery schedules," "pallets," "punctuality," and "cleanliness." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Class a drivers earn the highest salaries when working in the transportation industry, with an average yearly salary of $60,830. On the other hand, truck drivers class a are paid more in the transportation industry with an average salary of $62,650.On average, class a drivers reach similar levels of education than truck drivers class a. class a drivers are 0.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Truck driver class a vs. Class b driver

A Class B driver is responsible for operating vehicles with weight requirements, usually used for commercial and industrial purposes. Class B drivers are typically employed as a school bus driver, delivery truck driver, public transit driver, ensuring that they meet a clean driving record. They should also have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on inspecting the vehicle's engine condition and set maintenance repairs as necessary. A Class B driver must adhere to the safe road regulations at all times to prevent accidents and avoid delays in operation.

A career as a class b driver brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a truck driver class a. In fact, class b drivers salary is $19,037 lower than the salary of truck drivers class a per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both truck drivers class a and class b drivers have skills such as "cdl," "hazmat," and "customer service. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, truck driver class a responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "pet," "otr," "dot regulations," and "pallet jack." Meanwhile, a class b driver has duties that require skills in areas such as "dot," "math," "cleanliness," and "good communication." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Class b drivers earn a lower average salary than truck drivers class a. But class b drivers earn the highest pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $46,087. Additionally, truck drivers class a earn the highest salaries in the transportation with average pay of $62,650 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Class b drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than truck drivers class a. In fact, they're 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Truck Driver Class As 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.

Truck driver class a 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 scale, cdl drivers bring in lower salaries than truck drivers class a. In fact, they earn a $158 lower salary per year.By looking over several truck drivers class a and cdl drivers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "pet," "otr," and "hazmat." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a truck driver class a is likely to be skilled in "cdl," "dot regulations," "perseverance," and "mile radius," while a typical cdl driver is skilled in "dot," "cdl-a," "osha," and "safety equipment."

Cdl drivers earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $63,457. Truck drivers class a earn the highest pay from the transportation industry, with an average salary of $62,650.cdl drivers typically earn similar educational levels compared to truck drivers class a. Specifically, they're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Truck driver class a vs. Cdl class a driver

A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.

Cdl class a drivers typically earn lower pay than truck drivers class a. On average, cdl class a drivers earn a $11,067 lower salary per year.According to resumes from truck drivers class a and cdl class a drivers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "otr," "hazmat," and "customer service. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between truck drivers class a and cdl class a drivers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a truck driver class a might have more use for skills like "cdl," "pet," "post-trip inspections," and "perseverance." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of cdl class a drivers require skills like "math," "basic math," "pallets," and "materials handling. "

Cdl class a drivers enjoy the best pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $57,733. For comparison, truck drivers class a earn the highest salary in the transportation industry.The average resume of cdl class a drivers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to truck drivers class a. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of truck driver class a

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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