Truck Driver job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$58,640

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (O*NET-SOC 53-3032.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy. importance 4.6 of 5
2. Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations. importance 4.6 of 5
7. Read bills of lading to determine assignment details. importance 4.6 of 5
8. Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles. importance 4.5 of 5
9. Perform basic vehicle maintenance tasks, such as adding oil, fuel, or radiator fluid, performing minor repairs, or washing trucks. importance 4.5 of 5
10. Couple or uncouple trailers by changing trailer jack positions, connecting or disconnecting air or electrical lines, or manipulating fifth-wheel locks. importance 4.5 of 5
11. Maneuver trucks into loading or unloading positions, following signals from loading crew and checking that vehicle and loading equipment are properly positioned. importance 4.5 of 5
12. Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes. importance 4.5 of 5
13. Drive trucks with capacities greater than 13 tons, including tractor-trailer combinations, to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials. importance 4.5 of 5
14. Read and interpret maps to determine vehicle routes. importance 4.4 of 5
15. Check conditions of trailers after contents have been unloaded to ensure that there has been no damage. importance 4.4 of 5
16. Operate equipment, such as truck cab computers, CB radios, phones, or global positioning systems (GPS) equipment to exchange necessary information with bases, supervisors, or other drivers. importance 4.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings and Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers.
• Follow appropriate safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods.
• Inventory and inspect goods to be moved to determine quantities and conditions.
• Follow special cargo-related procedures, such as checking refrigeration systems for frozen foods or providing food or water for livestock.
• Install or remove special equipment, such as tire chains, grader blades, plow blades, or sanders.
• Wrap and secure goods using pads, packing paper, containers, or straps.

Knowledge areas: Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language and Law and Government.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, SAP software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a truck driver.

Most truck drivers surveyed by O*NET (54%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Truck Driver
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Truck Driver.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
- Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
- Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
- Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
- Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
- Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.
- Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in operations monitoring, operation and control and monitoring
- Working knowledge of Transportation and Public Safety and Security
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $58,640 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $28.19. BLS estimates about 2,062,040 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 214,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full truck driver salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real truck driver posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only truck driver work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (operations monitoring and operation and control); truck driver interview questions turns them into practice questions.