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Motor vehicle drivers

How to become a Dump Truck Driver

Also called: Tipper truck driver

Drives dump trucks to carry gravel and soil to construction sites and to take materials to factories.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education is required to start, but a driving licence is essential. The type of licence depends on the size of the vehicle: a standard licence (gross vehicle weight up to 3.5 tonnes), semi-medium licence (up to 7.5 tonnes), medium licence (up to 11 tonnes) or heavy licence (over 11 tonnes). In most cases a heavy licence is required. In actual work, a large special vehicle licence is needed to drive an excavator on public roads, the vehicle-type construction machinery operation skills course is needed to operate excavators and similar machines on site, and the off-road transport vehicle operation skills course is needed to operate articulated dump trucks used for carrying loads over rough ground. Almost nobody joins as a new graduate; most are hired mid-career, and most come from other driving jobs such as truck driving. Those who leave usually move to similar work or other truck driving, but some buy their own vehicle and go independent. As well as driving skills, you need communication skills, because you deal often with clients' staff and with your own company's staff giving instructions by radio and other means.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Dump Truck Driver?

No particular education is required to start, but a driving licence is essential. The type of licence depends on the size of the vehicle: a standard licence (gross vehicle weight up to 3.5 tonnes), semi-medium licence (up to 7.5 tonnes), medium licence (up to 11 tonnes) or heavy licence (over 11 tonnes). In most cases a heavy licence is required. In actual work, a large special vehicle licence is needed to drive an excavator on public roads, the vehicle-type construction machinery operation skills course is needed to operate excavators and similar machines on site, and the off-road transport vehicle operation skills course is needed to operate articulated dump trucks used for carrying loads over rough ground. Almost nobody joins as a new graduate; most are hired mid-career, and most come from other driving jobs such as truck driving. Those who leave usually move to similar work or other truck driving, but some buy their own vehicle and go independent. As well as driving skills, you need communication skills, because you deal often with clients' staff and with your own company's staff giving instructions by radio and other means.

How much does a Dump Truck Driver earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,485,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Truck drivers (commercial haulage, except heavy trucks), which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Dump Truck Driver?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 11% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Dump Truck Driver?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026