CareerGPS

Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
22,040 24,902 2,863 12.99% 573 2,952 3,524 $25.49 $53,015 Postsecondary nondegree award
Description: Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,000 GVW, to transport and deliver goods, livestock, or materials in liquid, loose, or packaged form. May be required to unload truck. May require use of automated routing equipment. Requires commercial drivers' license.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Follow appropriate safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods.
  • Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
  • Maintain logs of working hours and of vehicle service and repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
  • Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
  • Check all load-related documentation to ensure that it is complete and accurate.
  • Maneuver trucks into loading or unloading positions, following signals from loading crew and checking that vehicle and loading equipment are properly positioned.
  • Drive trucks with capacities greater than 3 tons, including tractor-trailer combinations, to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials.
  • Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers.
  • Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.
  • Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.
  • Read and interpret maps to determine vehicle routes.
  • Couple and uncouple trailers by changing trailer jack positions, connecting or disconnecting air and electrical lines, and manipulating fifth-wheel locks.
  • Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes.
  • Drive trucks to weigh stations before and after loading and along routes to document weights and to comply with state regulations.
  • Operate equipment, such as truck cab computers, CB radios, and telephones, to exchange necessary information with bases, supervisors, or other drivers.
  • Check conditions of trailers after contents have been unloaded to ensure that there has been no damage.
  • Crank trailer landing gear up and down to safely secure vehicles.
  • Wrap goods using pads, packing paper, and containers, and secure loads to trailer walls, using straps.
  • Perform basic vehicle maintenance tasks such as adding oil, fuel, and radiator fluid, or performing minor repairs.
  • Load and unload trucks, or help others with loading and unloading, operating any special loading-related equipment on vehicles and using other equipment as necessary.
  • Inventory and inspect goods to be moved to determine quantities and conditions.
  • Remove debris from loaded trailers.

Knowledge

88%
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
65%
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
61%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
58%
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
51%
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

78%
Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
65%
Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
56%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
53%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
53%
Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
53%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
50%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
50%
Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
50%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
50%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
50%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Abilities

78%
Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
75%
Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
72%
Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
69%
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
69%
Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
66%
Spatial Orientation - The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
66%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
66%
Response Orientation - The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
66%
Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
66%
Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
62%
Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
62%
Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
62%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
60%
Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
60%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
60%
Peripheral Vision - The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
60%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
56%
Glare Sensitivity - The ability to see objects in the presence of glare or bright lighting.
56%
Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
56%
Night Vision - The ability to see under low light conditions.
53%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
53%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
53%
Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
53%
Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
53%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
53%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
50%
Auditory Attention - The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
50%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
50%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
50%
Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes compa
50%
Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

Work Activities

91%
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
81%
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
78%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
77%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
72%
Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
72%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
71%
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
71%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
68%
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
68%
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
67%
Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
65%
Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
63%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
62%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
61%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
59%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
59%
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
57%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
56%
Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
55%
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Title Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Overall Experience Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, physical therapist aides, salespersons (retail), and tellers.
Education These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Interests

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outsi
Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Work Styles

Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Work Values

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