Careers > Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

$49.92K Median Salary 231.1K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 6.3% Job Growth

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About This Career

Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.

Reported Job Titles

CDL Driver (Commercial Driver's License Driver), Driver, Line Haul Driver, Log Truck Driver, Over the Road Driver (OTR Driver), Production Truck Driver, Road Driver, Semi Truck Driver, Tractor Trailer Driver, Truck Driver

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Far Vision

Control Precision

Multilimb Coordination

Rate Control

Response Orientation

Spatial Orientation

Reaction Time

Problem Sensitivity

Depth Perception

Near Vision

Selective Attention

Deductive Reasoning

Oral Comprehension

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Auditory Attention

Category Flexibility

Flexibility of Closure

Glare Sensitivity

Hearing Sensitivity

Information Ordering

Manual Dexterity

Night Vision

Oral Expression

Peripheral Vision

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Static Strength

Time Sharing

Visualization

Written Comprehension

Knowledge

Transportation

Public Safety and Security

Customer and Personal Service

English Language

Law and Government

Skills

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Monitoring

Critical Thinking

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Time Management

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Word processing software

Data base user interface and query software

Route navigation software

Inventory management software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Desktop communications software

Video creation and editing software

Office suite software

Operating system software

Time accounting software

Analytical or scientific software

Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software

Tools

Lifts

Trailer hitches

Flatbed trailers

Hand trucks or accessories

Global positioning system GPS receiver

Two way radios

Snowplow attachments

Track cranes

Mobile phones

Dump trucks

Bar code reader equipment

Container trailers

Cargo trucks

Hoists

Concrete transport truck

Forklifts

Blocks or pulleys

Tower cranes

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

Delivery trucks

Telescoping boom lift

Thin client computers

Laser fax machine

Location based messaging service platforms

Sludge or sewage handling trucks

Air compressors

Scanners

Notebook computers

Winches

Wheel loaders

Abilities

Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
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.
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.
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.
Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
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 that there is a problem.
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.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
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).
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.
Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
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).
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Knowledge

Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
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.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Route navigation software: Navzilla
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Desktop communications software: Edmodo
Video creation and editing software: YouTube
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Time accounting software: Timekeeping software
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Production scheduling software

Tools

Lifts: Power lifts
Trailer hitches: Sliding fifth wheels; Sliding tandem axles; Three-point hitches
Flatbed trailers: Utility trailers
Hand trucks or accessories: Handcarts
Global positioning system GPS receiver: Global positioning system GPS receivers
Two way radios:
Snowplow attachments: Snowplows
Track cranes: Overhead cranes
Mobile phones:
Dump trucks: Rock trucks
Bar code reader equipment: Bar code readers
Container trailers: Walking floor trailers
Cargo trucks: Logging trucks
Hoists: Hoisting equipment
Concrete transport truck: Mixer trucks
Forklifts:
Blocks or pulleys: Sheave blocks
Tower cranes:
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers: Personal digital assistants PDA
Delivery trucks: Heavy trucks; Transport trucks
Telescoping boom lift: Telescopic forklifts
Thin client computers: On-board computers for sending/receiving instructions
Laser fax machine: Laser facsimile machines
Location based messaging service platforms: Wireless communication and satellite positioning tools
Sludge or sewage handling trucks: Refuse collection trucks
Air compressors:
Scanners: Data input scanners
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Winches: Hand winches
Wheel loaders: Front and back shovel wheel loaders

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