Truck Driver
A truck driver is a professional responsible for transporting goods using gasoline, diesel, or electric-powered trucks. There are various types of truck drivers, including long-haul drivers who travel significant distances between cities or states, and local delivery drivers who operate within a single metropolitan area. The role typically requires a significant commitment, as drivers often work over 50 hours a week, often during irregular hours, including nights and weekends. This career can be solitary and physically demanding, requiring drivers to load and unload cargo, manage route navigation, and adhere to federal regulations regarding driving hours.
To pursue a truck driving career, individuals typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, along with a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate larger vehicles. Training programs are available to prepare prospective drivers for this certification, focusing on essential skills such as highway driving, vehicle inspection, and understanding transportation regulations. The job demands physical strength, stamina, and a high tolerance for repetitive tasks, making it important for interested individuals to be comfortable with long periods on the road. Technological advancements are also integral to the profession, enhancing safety and efficiency in the cargo transport process.
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Subject Terms
Truck Driver
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Interests: Road Travel, Working Alone, Transportation, Non-Office Work Environment
Earnings (Yearly Median): $54,320 per year $26.12 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 4% (As fast as average)
Entry-Level Education Postsecondary nondegree award
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job Training Short-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. Truck drivers transport goods from one location to another via gasoline-, diesel-, or electric-powered trucks of various sizes. Heavy truck and tractor-trailer truck drivers, or over-the-road/long-haul drivers, deliver goods from one city, state, or country to another. Light truck and delivery drivers or driver-salespeople usually operate locally, staying within a single metropolitan area.
Work Environment. Truck drivers are typically on the road for fifty hours or more per week and do not follow a standard work schedule. They are often required to work at night, in the early morning hours, during holidays, and on weekends. Long-distance drivers may work up to sixty hours per week without taking thirty-four consecutive hours off, and they may only drive for up to eleven hours straight per day. Their work can be lonely (as they frequently travel alone), tedious, exhausting, and physically strenuous. Many truck drivers are also responsible for loading, lifting, carrying, and unloading cargo.
Occupation Interest. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in truck driving must be comfortable spending most of their week alone. A truck driver’s schedule can often be irregular, and they may be away from home for days, making this career choice a significant lifestyle decision. Prospective truck drivers should enjoy traveling on the open road and be highly skilled in navigation, route calculation, and map reading. They must have a high tolerance for tedium and possess physical strength and stamina.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Most truck drivers begin by receiving work assignments from their dispatchers, who inform them of their next pickup or delivery details. They are then responsible for examining their trucks to ensure everything, including emergency equipment, works correctly. They load cargo from a warehouse or distribution center onto the truck, arranging it securely and fastening it properly. They may collect receipts and bills for delivered products, obtain payments, and return all documents and payments collected to their employers.
On the road, long-haul truck drivers must fill out trip logs, listing the number of hours traveled and other details following regulations mandated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They frequently stop to eat, rest, and refuel. Upon their return, truck drivers inspect their vehicles for any damage and report any mechanical failures they experience.
Though the job requires truck drivers to be physically robust, technological advancements in the industry include mechanical loading devices, such as forklifts and conveyor belts, to more easily move and assemble freight, as well as power-assisted steering, brakes, and gear shifting to improve safety. To monitor inventory, truck drivers use a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking system that helps ensure the correct products are delivered to the proper locations.
Tractor-Trailer-Truck Drivers (904.383-010). Tractor-trailer-truck drivers drive gasoline-, electric-, or diesel-powered tractor-trailer combinations, usually long distances, to deliver products to customers.
Garbage Collector Drivers (905.663-010). Garbage collector drivers drive packer-type trucks, dump trucks, or trucks equipped with hydraulic lifting devices to collect garbage and trash and transport it to disposal areas.
Heavy Truck Drivers (905.663-014). Heavy truck drivers drive trucks with a capacity of more than three tons to and from specified locations.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Truck drivers spend most of their work hours behind the wheel of a large truck. They sit for extended periods and stop occasionally to stretch, rest, and eat. Long-haul truck drivers often sleep in the cab of their truck when traveling overnight. Road conditions can be treacherous, and truck drivers must often drive in unpleasant weather.
Human Environment. Truck drivers work alone or in pairs. Most report to dispatchers or private employers; some drivers are self-employed. When delivering or picking up materials, they communicate with distribution center or manufacturer workers, private clients, or vendors.
Technological Environment. In addition to learning to operate light trucks or tractor-trailer trucks, truck drivers may use two-way radios, maps, emergency road equipment, GPS and route-navigation systems, flashlights, and vehicle-repair tools. They also regularly handle documents such as travel orders, trip logs, accident and expense reports, receipts, and bills.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students planning to begin a career in truck driving should prepare themselves by taking courses in communications, geography, technology, business, and mathematics. They should also obtain their standard driver’s license (SDL) promptly. Students who are licensed to drive should practice navigating local roads and communities, using navigation software, and studying maps.
Postsecondary. Though it is not required for employment, most truck drivers receive a high school diploma or its equivalent. To operate trucks that weigh 26,001 pounds or more or that carry hazardous materials or oversized loads, truck drivers must obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL); for any other kind of truck, an SDL is sufficient. After high school, prospective truck drivers usually enroll in a technical or vocational driver training program to prepare for CDL testing. Courses in driver training teach students about highway driving, transportation regulations, air brakes, transmissions, and truck and freight inspection. Select states and some private companies require drivers to pass a basic truck-driving course before receiving a CDL.
Related Occupations
Bibliography
“Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/delivery-truck-drivers-and-driver-sales-workers.htm. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.
"Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 53-3032 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers." US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533032.htm. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.