Post job

What does a water truck driver do?

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

Water truck drivers are professional drivers who are required to drive trucks to transport water for construction projects, oil rigs, and crews working in remote sites. These drivers must demonstrate their ability by driving their trucks in unpredictable weather conditions and navigating in heavy traffics. They must conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections while performing preventive maintenance on their trucks to ensure safety while driving. Water truck drivers must also check all load documents to ensure that they are accurate and received the required signatures for pickup and delivery.

On this page

Water truck driver responsibilities

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

  • Utilize CDL by driving from fresh water pits, drilling rigs, frac jobs, mud farms to service clients.
  • Guide dump trucks while being fill with milling from asphalt.
  • Drive and operate water truck by watering soil cement foundation base and for asphalt.
  • Load oil .transport products using dot regulations.unload products at designate facilities.
  • Check all load documentation for accuracy, inspect load and receive required signatures for pickup and delivery.
  • Keep track of logs, miles, and bol's.

Water truck driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 31% of Water Truck Drivers are proficient in CDL, Asphalt, and Post-Trip Inspections. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Hearing ability, and Physical health.

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

  • CDL, 31%

    Maintained Class A CDL License in good standing along with tanker and HAZMAT endorsements.

  • Asphalt, 12%

    Guide dump trucks while being filled with milling from asphalt.

  • Post-Trip Inspections, 5%

    Preform Pre-Trip and post-trip inspections on various kinds' equipment on an onsite construction in Payson AZ./Collage AZ.

  • DOT Regulations, 5%

    Maintained equipment, insured preventative maintenance on trucks and completed required paperwork in accordance with DOT regulations.

  • Construction Sites, 4%

    Worked in oilfields and drove 1000 gallon water truck for basic dust control for area of new construction sites.

  • Hand Tools, 4%

    Performed miscellaneous side work using hand tools.

"cdl," "asphalt," and "post-trip inspections" are among the most common skills that water truck drivers use at work. You can find even more water truck driver responsibilities below, including:

Hand-eye coordination. One of the key soft skills for a water truck driver to have is hand-eye coordination. You can see how this relates to what water truck drivers do because "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." Additionally, a water truck driver resume shows how water truck drivers use hand-eye coordination: "performed vehicle inspection, minor maintenance, and coordination of repairs for compliance with company and highway regulations. "

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

Physical health. water truck drivers are also known for physical health, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to water truck driver responsibilities, because "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." A water truck driver resume example shows how physical health is used in the workplace: "mine safety and health administration (msha) certified. "

All water truck driver skills

Choose from 10+ customizable water truck driver resume templates

Build a professional water truck driver resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your water truck driver resume.
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume
Water Truck Driver Resume

Compare different water truck drivers

Water 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.

We looked at the average water truck driver salary and compared it with the wages of a driver trainer. Generally speaking, driver trainers are paid $4,366 lower than water truck drivers per year.Even though water truck drivers and driver trainers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require cdl, post-trip inspections, and dot regulations in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a water truck driver are more likely to require skills like "asphalt," "construction sites," "hand tools," and "loaders." On the other hand, a job as a driver trainer requires skills like "dexterity," "training programs," "defensive driving," and "customer service." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Driver trainers earn the highest salaries when working in the transportation industry, with an average yearly salary of $41,269. On the other hand, water truck drivers are paid more in the transportation industry with an average salary of $52,423.On average, driver trainers reach similar levels of education than water truck drivers. Driver trainers are 2.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Water 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.

Cdl driver positions earn higher pay than water truck driver roles. They earn a $12,672 higher salary than water truck drivers per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Water truck drivers and cdl drivers both require similar skills like "asphalt," "post-trip inspections," and "construction sites" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, water truck driver responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "cdl," "dot regulations," "hand tools," and "loaders." Meanwhile, a cdl driver has duties that require skills in areas such as "dot," "cdl-a," "customer service," and "otr." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Cdl drivers earn a higher average salary than water truck drivers. But cdl drivers earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $63,457. Additionally, water truck drivers earn the highest salaries in the transportation with average pay of $52,423 annually.In general, cdl drivers achieve similar levels of education than water truck drivers. They're 0.8% 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 water 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.

Water truck driver vs. Truck operator

Truck Operators are individuals making a living by driving trucks and heavy goods vehicles such as articulated trucks, semi-trailers, and tankers. They are responsible for administering goods, loading and unloading into the truck, assessing the goods conditions, scheduling transport operations, arranging transport documentations, and inspecting vehicle conditions before starting work. Other duties include checking tires, fuel, oil filters, and oil levels. Truck Operators also supervise delivery operations, vehicle cleaning, tire maintenance, and refueling.

On average, truck operators earn lower salaries than water truck drivers, with a $10,832 difference per year.water truck drivers and truck operators both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cdl," "asphalt," and "construction sites," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, water truck drivers are more likely to have skills like "post-trip inspections," "dot regulations," "hand tools," and "loaders." But a truck operator is more likely to have skills like "industrial cleaning," "customer service," "bucket truck," and "dot."

Truck operators make a very good living in the construction industry with an average annual salary of $43,058. On the other hand, water truck drivers are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $52,423.When it comes to education, truck operators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to water truck drivers. In fact, they're 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Water 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.

Drivers typically earn lower pay than water truck drivers. On average, drivers earn a $15,669 lower salary per year.According to resumes from water truck drivers and drivers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "cdl," "post-trip inspections," and "federal regulations. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between water truck drivers and drivers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a water truck driver might have more use for skills like "asphalt," "dot regulations," "construction sites," and "hand tools." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of drivers require skills like "math," "basic math," "safety rules," and "cleanliness. "

The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for drivers, with average annual pay of $39,688. Comparatively, the highest water truck driver annual salary comes from the transportation industry.In general, drivers hold similar degree levels compared to water truck drivers. Drivers are 0.7% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of water 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.

Browse transportation jobs