Find Trade Colleges

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver

What You Need to Know About Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver

Job Description: Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers’ license.

Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver Responsibilities

  • Give directions to laborers who are packing goods and moving them onto trailers.
  • Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
  • Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
  • Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.
  • Load or unload trucks or help others with loading or unloading, using special loading-related equipment or other equipment as necessary.
  • Operate trucks equipped with snowplows or sander attachments to maintain roads in winter weather.

What a Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver Should Know

These are the skills Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers say are the most useful in their careers:

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

  • Mixer Driver
  • Class B Driver
  • CDL Driver (Commercial Drivers License Driver)
  • Truck Driver Teamster
  • Roll Off Driver

Is There Job Demand for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers?

In the United States, there were 1,871,700 jobs for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 108,400 new jobs for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver by 2026. The BLS estimates 213,500 yearly job openings in this field.

undefined

The states with the most job growth for Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver are Utah, North Dakota, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Maine, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Make A Lot Of Money?

The typical yearly salary for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is somewhere between $28,160 and $65,260.

undefined

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers who work in Alaska, North Dakota, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.

How much do Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $40,580
Alaska $57,630
Arizona $45,430
Arkansas $41,980
California $47,300
Colorado $48,840
Connecticut $49,880
Delaware $44,160
District of Columbia $52,760
Florida $42,020
Georgia $43,260
Hawaii $48,910
Idaho $42,010
Illinois $48,650
Indiana $46,210
Iowa $43,820
Kansas $46,180
Kentucky $45,550
Louisiana $42,090
Maine $40,040
Maryland $47,940
Massachusetts $50,310
Michigan $43,450
Minnesota $48,710
Mississippi $41,900
Missouri $45,070
Montana $46,100
Nebraska $44,710
Nevada $50,920
New Hampshire $45,030
New Jersey $49,080
New Mexico $44,460
New York $50,460
North Carolina $44,030
North Dakota $52,080
Ohio $45,010
Oklahoma $43,880
Oregon $47,410
Pennsylvania $46,650
Rhode Island $48,360
South Carolina $44,270
South Dakota $41,590
Tennessee $43,660
Texas $45,260
Utah $45,600
Vermont $45,250
Virginia $42,660
Washington $48,620
West Virginia $39,520
Wisconsin $45,950
Wyoming $50,200

What Tools do Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • SAP
  • Microsoft Windows
  • YouTube
  • Computerized inventory tracking software
  • ADP ezLaborManager
  • ALK Technologies PC*Miler

Becoming a Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver

What education is needed to be a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver?

undefined

How many years of work experience do I need?

undefined

Where Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Are Employed

undefined

The table below shows the approximate number of Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers employed by various industries.

undefined

References:

Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.