Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers 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 the truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.

  • Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
  • Follow appropriate safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods.
  • Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
  • Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
  • Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers.
  • Maneuver trucks into loading or unloading positions, following signals from loading crew and checking that vehicle and loading equipment are properly positioned.
  • Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.
  • Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
  • Drive trucks with capacities greater than 3 tons, including tractor-trailer combinations, to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials.
  • Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
  • Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.
  • Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes.
  • Drive trucks to weigh stations before and after loading and along routes in compliance with state regulations.
  • Couple or uncouple trailers by changing trailer jack positions, connecting or disconnecting air or electrical lines, or manipulating fifth-wheel locks.
  • Check conditions of trailers after contents have been unloaded to ensure that there has been no damage.
  • Perform basic vehicle maintenance tasks, such as adding oil, fuel, or radiator fluid or performing minor repairs.
  • Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
  • Read and interpret maps to determine vehicle routes.
  • 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.
  • Plan or adjust routes based on changing conditions, using computer equipment, global positioning systems (GPS) equipment, or other navigation devices, to minimize fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
  • Load or unload trucks or help others with loading or unloading, using special loading-related equipment or other equipment as necessary.
  • Remove debris from loaded trailers.
  • Follow special cargo-related procedures, such as checking refrigeration systems for frozen foods or providing food or water for livestock.
  • Inventory and inspect goods to be moved to determine quantities and conditions.
  • Wrap and secure goods using pads, packing paper, containers, or straps.
  • Install or remove special equipment, such as tire chains, grader blades, plow blades, or sanders.
  • Operate idle reduction systems or auxiliary power systems to generate power from alternative sources, such as fuel cells, to reduce idling time, to heat or cool truck cabins, or to provide power for other equipment.
  • Perform emergency roadside repairs, such as changing tires or installing light bulbs, tire chains, or spark plugs.
  • Give directions to laborers who are packing goods and moving them onto trailers.
  • Drive electric or hybrid-electric powered trucks or alternative fuel-powered trucks to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials.
  • Operate trucks equipped with snowplows or sander attachments to maintain roads in winter weather.
Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Follow safety procedures for vehicle operation.
  • Inspect motor vehicles.
  • Record operational or production data.
  • Record service or repair activities.
  • Collect fares or payment from customers.
  • Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.
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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.
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Skills

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.
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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.
Reaction Time
  • The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Video creation and editing software
  • YouTube Hot Technology
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • SAP Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
  • Evernote
  • 3M Post-it App
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