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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.
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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.
Related Job Titles
- 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.
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.
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?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Are Employed
The table below shows the approximate number of Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers employed by various industries.
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.