Career profile for Light Truck Driver

What does a Light Truck Driver do?

Light Truck Drivers 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.

In addition, Light Truck Drivers may load and unload vehicle.

What kind of tasks does a Light Truck Driver perform regularly?

Light Truck Drivers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Obey traffic laws and follow established traffic and transportation procedures.
Turn in receipts and money received from deliveries.
Read maps and follow written or verbal geographic directions.
Verify the contents of inventory loads against shipping papers.
Load and unload trucks, vans, or automobiles.
Drive vehicles with capacities under three tons to transport materials to and from specified destinations, such as railroad stations, plants, residences, offices, or within industrial yards.
Maintain records, such as vehicle logs, records of cargo, or billing statements, in accordance with regulations.
Inspect and maintain vehicle supplies and equipment, such as gas, oil, water, tires, lights, or brakes, to ensure that vehicles are in proper working condition.
Present bills and receipts and collect payments for goods delivered or loaded.
Report any mechanical problems encountered with vehicles.
Perform emergency repairs, such as changing tires or installing light bulbs, fuses, tire chains, or spark plugs.
Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations to bases or other vehicles, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.

The above responsibilities are specific to Light Truck Drivers. More generally, Light Truck Drivers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment		Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events		Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

What is a Light Truck Driver salary?

The median salary for a Light Truck Driver is $37,050, and the average salary is $41,050. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Light Truck Driver salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Light Truck Drivers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Light Truck Drivers earn less than $22,470 per year, 25% earn less than $27,580, 75% earn less than $50,850, and 90% earn less than $70,080.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Light Truck Drivers is expected to change by 9.8%, and there should be roughly 128,300 open positions for Light Truck Drivers every year.

Median annual salary: $37,050
Typical salary range: $22,470 - $70,080
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 9.8%

What personality traits are common among Light Truck Drivers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Light Truck Driver are usually higher in their Realistic and Conventional interests.

Light Truck Drivers typically have very strong Realistic interests. 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.

Also, Light Truck Drivers typically have strong Conventional interests. 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.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Light Truck Driver tend to value Support, Independence, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Light Truck Drivers moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Light Truck Drivers somewhat value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Light Truck Drivers somewhat value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Light Truck Drivers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, cooperation, and attention to detail.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Light Truck Drivers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

What education and training do Light Truck Drivers need?

Working as a Light Truck Driver usually requires a high school diploma.

Light Truck Drivers need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Light Truck Drivers

15.6% did not complete high school or secondary school
47.4% completed high school or secondary school
23.1% completed some college coursework
6.6% earned a Associate's degree
6.1% earned a Bachelor's degree
1.0% earned a Master's degree
0.2% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Light Truck Drivers

Light Truck Drivers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, transportation, or law and government knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Light Truck Drivers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
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.
Transportation		Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Law and Government		Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
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.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

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.

Transportation

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Law and Government

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

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.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Important Abilities needed by Light Truck Drivers

Light Truck Drivers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Light Truck Drivers need abilities such as far vision, spatial orientation, and multilimb coordination in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Light Truck Drivers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Far Vision		The ability to see details at a distance.
Spatial Orientation		The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
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.
Static Strength		The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Far Vision

The ability to see details at a distance.

Spatial Orientation

The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.

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.

Static Strength

The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Near Vision

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

Critical Skills needed by Light Truck Drivers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Light Truck Drivers frequently use skills like operation and control, active listening, and speaking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Light Truck Drivers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Operation and Control		Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
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.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

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.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Monitoring

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

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Light Truck Driver

Light Truck Driver

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