How to become a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver

Official title: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Also called: CDL Driver (Commercial Driver's License Driver), Driver, Line Haul Driver, Log Truck Driver, Over the Road Driver (OTR Driver), Production Truck Driver, Road Driver, Semi Truck Driver, Tractor Trailer Driver, Truck Driver

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.

Main tasks

• 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.
• Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.
• Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.

How to become one

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers usually have a high school diploma and attend a professional truck driving school. They must have a commercial driver's license (CDL).

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Commercial Transport Driver, Propane.
• Apprenticeship: Construction Driver.
• Apprenticeship: Professional Tank Truck Driver.
• Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor
• Licence: A licence is required in 38 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $58,640 a year The middle half earn $47,960 to $69,120.
• About 2,221,200 people work in this job now, and about 2,305,000 are projected by 2035. (+3.8%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Driver/Sales Workers
• Light Truck Drivers
• Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
• Bus Drivers, School
• Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
• Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver?

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers usually have a high school diploma and attend a professional truck driving school. They must have a commercial driver's license (CDL).

How much does a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $58,640 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,960 to $69,120.

Is a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 2,221,200 to about 2,305,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Commercial Transport Driver, Propane.

Will AI change the work of a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.