What does a truck driver do?
The truck driver transports goods and materials by land from and to manufacturing factories or retail businesses and distribution centers with the use of heavy trucks or tractor-trailers. Truck drivers assist and supervise the safe unloading of cargos to the destination. They must always check their cargo if complete and secured with cables, rope, or other materials. They should keep their truck clean, neat, and inspect prior the trip and ensure to be in good working condition to operate safely. It is very important that they follow with all appropriate safety procedures and comply with federal and state regulations. They must also be knowledgable and comfortable in using maps or GPS to navigate the safest and most efficient routes.
Truck driver responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real truck driver resumes:
- Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
- Flatb loads including steel and specialty metals, pipe, refractory brick, commercial building materials, lumber and equipment.
- Follow all HAZMAT regulations while transporting hazardous materials.
- Utilize appropriate PPE at all times.
- Dedicate run from Tennessee to California with LTL.
- Used proper PPE and safety equipment when need.
- Operate tractor trailer for LTL pick up for dedicate account
- DOT upon reaching destination, and maintain travel log.
- Transport loads in dry bulk cement tankers, and liquid propane gas tankers.
- Follow applicable MSHA standards as pertaining to job safety and haul truck operation.
- Follow all rules and regulations pertaining to hours of service under the FMCSA.
- Operate other heavy equipment such as loaders, rollers, compactors, etc when need.
- Have moved anything from excavators, loaders, forklifts, boom lifts to dump trucks.
- Maintain compliance with regulatory standards by following all FDA, OSHA, CLIAA, CGMP guidelines.
- Load and unload propane, butane, and other energy products to both residential and commercial customers.
Truck driver skills and personality traits
We calculated that 47% of Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, OTR, and DOT. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hearing ability, Physical health, and Hand-eye coordination.
We break down the percentage of Truck Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 47%
Operate combination tractor-trailer requiring CDL under DOT regulations and company policy's.
- OTR, 12%
Studied hierarchical management in family business and truck OTR business.
- DOT, 10%
Observed DOT qualifications in accordance with Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations.
- PET, 6%
Job duties: Drove over the road to deliver puppies to pet stores.
- Hazmat, 4%
Maintained HAZMAT designation which required successful completion of background investigation conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigations.
- Customer Service, 4%
Process all general customer service requests, interact efficiently with business customers providing information and resolving critical problems.
Most truck drivers use their skills in "cdl," "otr," and "dot" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential truck driver responsibilities here:
Hearing ability. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a truck driver to have is hearing ability. Their role and responsibilities require that "truck drivers need good hearing." Truck drivers often use hearing ability in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided clients with transportation to their medical appointments including therapy, dentistry, hearing and dialysis. "
Physical health. Many 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 a truck driver will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways truck driver responsibilities rely on physical health: "maintain physical fitness; pmcs vehicles; hazmat certified; cerf-p decontamination unit ups. "
Hand-eye coordination. This is an important skill for truck drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how truck 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 truck driver: "performed vehicle inspection, minor maintenance, and coordination of repairs for compliance with company and highway regulations. ".
Visual ability. For certain truck driver responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "visual ability." The day-to-day duties of a truck 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 truck drivers do: "print bills of lading pull orders load trucks perform visual safety inspections deliver equipment to schools customer service. "
The three companies that hire the most truck drivers are:
- Roehl Transport5,958 truck drivers jobs
- C.R. England5,441 truck drivers jobs
- J.B. Hunt Transport Services1,204 truck drivers jobs
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Compare different truck drivers
Truck driver 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, truck driver responsibilities require skills like "cdl," "dot," "pet," and "pickup." Meanwhile a typical cdl class a driver has skills in areas such as "math," "dot regulations," "basic math," and "pallets." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Cdl class a drivers earn the highest salaries when working in the transportation industry, with an average yearly salary of $57,733. On the other hand, truck drivers are paid more in the retail industry with an average salary of $58,554.cdl class a drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than truck drivers. In fact, cdl class a drivers are 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Truck driver vs. Company driver
A company driver helps an organization with all transport-related duties and ensures that these are carried out on time. Company drivers transport and deliver goods, equipment, products, and staff members to locations required by the organization. They maintain the cleanliness of their vehicles and are responsible for informing the organization about repairs and maintenance. Company drivers must also obtain the appropriate licenses and should have clean driving records with no accidents and traffic violations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real truck driver resumes. While truck driver responsibilities can utilize skills like "dot," "english language," "mechanical problems," and "dump truck," company drivers use skills like "cocoa," "dot regulations," "customer satisfaction," and "fmcsa."
Company drivers earn a higher average salary than truck drivers. But company drivers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $62,947. Additionally, truck drivers earn the highest salaries in the retail with average pay of $58,554 annually.company drivers earn similar levels of education than truck drivers in general. They're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for truck drivers in the next 3-5 years?
Don Lefeve
President & Chairman of the Board, CVTA
Truck driver 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from truck driver resumes include skills like "otr," "pet," "english language," and "traffic violations," whereas a class b driver is more likely to list skills in "math," "cleanliness," "good communication," and "safety rules. "
Class b drivers make a very good living in the construction industry with an average annual salary of $46,087. On the other hand, truck drivers are paid the highest salary in the retail industry, with average annual pay of $58,554.Most class b drivers achieve a similar degree level compared to truck drivers. For example, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Truck 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.
Types of truck driver
Updated January 8, 2025
