Occupation Profile

Heavy Truck Drivers

(SOC Code : 53-3032)

in California

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.

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Moderate-term on-the-job training (1-12 months) .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$20.48	$16.08	$19.79	$24.08

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	128,900	154,300	25,400	19.7	5,100

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority

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License Title

License Authority

Commercial Driver License

Department of Motor Vehicles
Licensing Operations Division
Commercial Licensing Policy Section
www.dmv.ca.gov

About Licenses

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

General Freight Trucking

4,469

26.0%

Specialized Freight Trucking

7,120

13.6%

Grocery Product Merchant Wholesalers

5,559

5.3%

Support Activities, Road Transportation

2,924

5.0%

Nonmetallic Mineral Product Mfg

1,479

4.0%

Warehousing and Storage

1,606

3.5%

Employment Services

6,297

2.1%

Waste Management and Remediation Service

3,463

1.6%

Lumber and Supply Merchant Wholesalers

3,312

1.5%

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

14,281

1.4%

Building Material and Supplies Dealers

16,446

1.0%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instruc

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.

Maneuver trucks into loading or unloading positions, following signals from loading crew and checking that vehicle and loading equipment are properly positioned.

Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes.

Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.

Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.

Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers.

Drive trucks with capacities greater than 3 tons, including tractor-trailer combinations, to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials.

Drive trucks to weigh stations before and after loading and along routes to document weights and to comply with state regulations.

Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.

Inventory and inspect goods to be moved to determine quantities and conditions.

More Tasks for Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer

Top Skills used in this Job

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.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

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.

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.

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.

Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

More Skills for Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer

Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.

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.

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.

Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

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.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

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 outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

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.

More Interests for Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer

Alternate Titles

Over the Road Drivers; Line Haul Drivers; Long Haul Truck Drivers; Owner Operators; Flatbed Truck Drivers; and Commercial Trailer Truck Drivers.