Light Truck Drivers
What Light Truck Drivers Do
Drive a light vehicle, such as a truck or van, with a capacity of less than 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), primarily to pick up merchandise or packages from a distribution center and deliver. May load and unload vehicle.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 6.8%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- English Languageimportance 3.8/5
- Transportationimportance 3.4/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.4/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.9/5
- Administrativeimportance 2.6/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.5/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.4/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.4/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.6/5
- Contact With Others4.6/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
- Telephone Conversations4.2/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.2/5
- Time Pressure4.2/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation94% skill match
- Power Plant Operators94% skill match
- Motorboat Operators94% skill match
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders94% skill match
- Conveyor Operators and Tenders93% skill match
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders93% skill match
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders93% skill match
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
- Service Orientationimportance 2.8/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.6/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Automatic routing software
- Computerized inventory tracking software
- Eko
- FreightDATA
- IBM Domino
- Inventory management systems
- Package location and tracking software
- Recordkeeping software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where light truck drivers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV2.38× national avg
- 2Decatur, IL2.37× national avg
- 3Memphis, TN-MS-AR2.12× national avg
- 4Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA2.06× national avg
- 5Chattanooga, TN-GA2.06× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
- Advanced Career Institute (Visalia, CA)grads earn ~$53,102
- Delta Technical College-Mississippi (Horn Lake, MS)grads earn ~$40,840
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island (Pawtucket, RI)grads earn ~$62,775
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of CT-Bridgeport (Bridgeport, CT)grads earn ~$52,736
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Massachusetts (North Andover, MA)grads earn ~$62,775