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 truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.
What it pays
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn a median of $28.19/hr — about $58,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.30/hr; the top 10% earn $38.17/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn a median of $28.19/hr — about $58,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.30/hr; the top 10% earn $38.17/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
- Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
- Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
- Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
- Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 6.9% of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver make?
- The median pay is $28.19 per hour — roughly $58,500 a year, with the real range running from about $19.30/hr (10th percentile) to $38.17/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver?
- The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver actually do all day?
- Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy. Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure. Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.