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Motor vehicle drivers

How to become a Tanker Truck Driver

Drives a tanker truck carrying liquids such as petrol and high-pressure gases.

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, but most tankers are large vehicles, so a heavy vehicle driving licence is often needed, and a towing licence is also needed to drive a vehicle pulling a goods trailer over 750 kg gross weight. Depending on what you carry, such as flammable liquids, poisons and harmful substances or high-pressure gas, you also need qualifications such as hazardous materials handler (Class B Category 4, Class C and so on), poisonous and deleterious substances handling manager, high-pressure gas production safety manager or high-pressure gas transport supervisor. Some people join as new graduates, but many are hired mid-career. After being hired through Hello Work (public employment service) or job advertisements, you spend a trial or apprentice period and receive training. Under a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism notice, new drivers must receive on-board instruction in a truck and classroom training on loading, daily checks and the features of truck design. You learn practical knowledge, workplace rules, customer service and work skills from managers and supervisors before starting to drive. Many companies support mid-career hires to gain the various licences, and some people gain a heavy vehicle licence, towing licence or hazardous materials handler qualification after joining. After gaining driving experience, some move into office work, gain the operations manager qualification (a national qualification) and become dispatchers managing drivers, and later rise from manager to head of a depot or other management roles. Driving needs concentration that you can keep up, and the ability to notice anything unusual straight away and respond quickly and correctly. The work gives you the satisfaction of supporting essential infrastructure, but because you handle hazardous materials, you must be thorough about safety and precise in your work. Some driving is at night, so looking after your health is important. You also deal with people at delivery sites, so you should dress neatly and be courteous.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Tanker Truck Driver?

No particular education is required, but most tankers are large vehicles, so a heavy vehicle driving licence is often needed, and a towing licence is also needed to drive a vehicle pulling a goods trailer over 750 kg gross weight. Depending on what you carry, such as flammable liquids, poisons and harmful substances or high-pressure gas, you also need qualifications such as hazardous materials handler (Class B Category 4, Class C and so on), poisonous and deleterious substances handling manager, high-pressure gas production safety manager or high-pressure gas transport supervisor. Some people join as new graduates, but many are hired mid-career. After being hired through Hello Work (public employment service) or job advertisements, you spend a trial or apprentice period and receive training. Under a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism notice, new drivers must receive on-board instruction in a truck and classroom training on loading, daily checks and the features of truck design. You learn practical knowledge, workplace rules, customer service and work skills from managers and supervisors before starting to drive. Many companies support mid-career hires to gain the various licences, and some people gain a heavy vehicle licence, towing licence or hazardous materials handler qualification after joining. After gaining driving experience, some move into office work, gain the operations manager qualification (a national qualification) and become dispatchers managing drivers, and later rise from manager to head of a depot or other management roles. Driving needs concentration that you can keep up, and the ability to notice anything unusual straight away and respond quickly and correctly. The work gives you the satisfaction of supporting essential infrastructure, but because you handle hazardous materials, you must be thorough about safety and precise in your work. Some driving is at night, so looking after your health is important. You also deal with people at delivery sites, so you should dress neatly and be courteous.

How much does a Tanker Truck Driver earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,072,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Heavy truck drivers (commercial haulage), which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Tanker 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 Tanker 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