How to hire a van driver

How to hire a van driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step van driver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a van driver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new van driver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a van driver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The van driver hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a van driver to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a van driver that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of van drivers.

   Type of Van Driver	Description	Hourly rate
   Van Driver	Heavy and tractor–trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor–trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity—that is, the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—exceeds 26,000 pounds... Show more	$11-25
   Fuel Truck Driver	A Fuel Truck Driver transports fuel and other petroleum products from one place to another, ensuring safety and timeliness. Their responsibilities include measuring and calculating fuel deliveries, maintaining records, handling documentation, liaising with clients, preparing progress reports, and overseeing the loading and unloading procedures, ensuring adherence to the company's safety standards and regulations... Show more	$18-39
   School Bus Driver	A school bus driver is responsible for students' safe transportation during school days or any related events. Aside from ensuring that the students get to their destination on time, a school bus driver must ensure to abide by the traffic laws and regulations at all times and follow particular routes for picking-up and dropping off students... Show more	$14-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CDL
   • Customer Service
   • OTR
   • Mechanical Problems
   • GPS
   • Vehicle Inspections
   • Patients
   • CPR
   • Traffic Laws
   • Cleanliness
   • Rehabilitation
   • Safety Rules
   • Good Judgment
   • Front Desk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform basic math sufficient to process axle weights at shipping docks.
   • Maintain knowledge of first-aid procedures including CPR.
   • Plot route pickup and drop off points.
   • Have taken additional training in HAZMAT and international audit procedures.
   • Specialize in teaching reading, writing, and math skills.
   • Obtain knowledge of CDL laws and statues in accordance with the D.O.T

   More van driver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your van driver job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A van driver salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, van drivers' average salary in maine is 35% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level van drivers earn 54% less than senior-level van drivers.
   • Certifications. A van driver with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a van driver's salary.

   Average van driver salary

   $36,254yearly

   $17.43 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level van driver salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average van driver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$44,340	$21
   2	Georgia	$43,087	$21
   3	Washington	$41,878	$20
   4	Massachusetts	$40,296	$19
   5	Pennsylvania	$38,799	$19
   6	Alabama	$38,568	$19
   7	Illinois	$36,817	$18
   8	Texas	$36,599	$18
   9	Nebraska	$36,563	$18
   10	Ohio	$36,200	$17
   11	Arizona	$35,528	$17
   12	Missouri	$35,310	$17
   13	Kansas	$34,555	$17

   Average van driver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	DVFSchool	$64,343	$30.93
   2	ASRC Federal	$58,473	$28.11	1
   3	Sharkey Transportation	$56,773	$27.29	1
   4	Red Classic	$56,215	$27.03
   5	Koch Trucking	$54,919	$26.40	4
   6	Taylor Truck Line	$54,308	$26.11	22
   7	Topeka Public Schools	$53,885	$25.91	2
   8	KKW Trucking	$53,499	$25.72	28
   9	US Foods	$52,850	$25.41	151
   10	Cal-Ark International, Inc.	$52,325	$25.16	37
   11	Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership	$52,075	$25.04	4
   12	Anderson Trucking Service	$51,162	$24.60
   13	IDT	$50,705	$24.38
   14	Arnold Transportation Services	$50,639	$24.35
   15	Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District	$50,455	$24.26
   16	Ashley Distribution Services	$50,108	$24.09
   17	Pride Transport	$49,836	$23.96	12
   18	Epes Transport System	$49,825	$23.95	40
   19	Alliance Transportation Group	$49,393	$23.75
   20	Total Education Solutions Inc.	$49,366	$23.73	2

4. Writing a van driver job description

   A van driver job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a van driver job description:

   Van driver job description example

   This position is responsible for safely transporting guests to/from their destinations, providing information and luggage assistance, in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner. This position is responsible for anticipating guest needs, exceeding expectations and implementing creative solutions to provide exceptional service. Follows CSM high standards of quality to ensure guest satisfaction.
   • Safely transport guests to/from their destinations, provide information and luggage assistance
   • Anticipates and responds to guests in a friendly and positive manner
   • Responsible for providing the highest level of service
   • Ability to assist and direct guests by knowledge of hotel property, amenities, local area, and hours of operation of hotel outlets and services
   • Works as a team player in meeting guests needs, and actively contributes to the efforts of other departments as necessary. Understands and follows CSM guest service recovery program
   • Fill out all required logs and complete safety checks of the vehicles
   • Ensure there is gas in the vehicle and that it is clean and presentable by picking up trash and periodically going through a car wash
   • Responsible for proper use and basic maintenance of hotel vehicle, all equipment and supplies, and adheres to cost controls to reduce expenses and waste. Plan to ensure avoiding unnecessary trips
   • Responsible for the safe operation of hotel vehicle, and adheres to all applicable traffic laws
   • Responsible for completing the following checks: preventive maintenance, DOT, and required safety equipment
   • Maintains a clean and safe work area in compliance with CSM, brand, local, state and federal regulations Follows all CSM procedures for guest/associate incidents
   • Knowledgeable of hotel emergency procedures
   • Aware of van insurance card location
   • Reports all traffic violations or accidents to management immediately
   • Produces required volume of work by planning, organizing and prioritizing work duties
   • Adheres to CSM general work rules and department procedures
   • Attends all required department and hotel meetings
   
   Competencies/Skills Required: Prior hotel and/or related guest service experience preferred. Attention to detail, customer focused and the ability to perform job duties in a fast paced environment.
   
   Physical: Ability to lift, push and pull up to 75 pounds on a regular basis throughout shift.
   
   Education: High school diploma or GED preferred. Current and valid drivers' license with safe driving record required. Must have appropriate class of driver's license based on hotel vehicle requirements and must be a minimum of eighteen (18) years of age for insurance purposes.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find van drivers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any van drivers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level van drivers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your van driver job on Zippia to find and recruit van driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting van drivers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new van driver

   Once you've decided on a perfect van driver candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new van driver. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a van driver?