Cargo vehicle driver
Also known as: truckie, freight driver, van driver, lorry driver, heavy goods vehicle driver, package delivery driver
About this occupation
Cargo vehicle drivers operate vehicles such as trucks and vans. They may also take care of the loading and unloading of cargo.
Essential skills and knowledge
- effective perception of transport environment
- use communication devices
- read maps
- supervise unloading of cargo
- mechanical components of vehicles
- road traffic laws
- types of cargo
- anticipate foreseeable problems on the road
- interpret traffic signals
- use different communication channels
- operate GPS systems
- parallel park vehicles
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Driver/Sales Workers (O*NET 53-3031.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Drive trucks to deliver such items as food, medical supplies, or newspapers.
- Inform regular customers of new products or services and price changes.
- Record sales or delivery information on daily sales or delivery record.
- Listen to and resolve customers' complaints regarding products or services.
- Collect money from customers, make change, and record transactions on customer receipts.
- Maintain trucks and food-dispensing equipment and clean inside of machines that dispense food or beverages.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Enterprising
Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness
US median pay: US$38,770 a year (2025), 409,180 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Agriculture or Foods and NutritionO*NET: Food ProductionVery important (3.6)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.5)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Light Truck Drivers
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
- Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers
- Counter and Rental Clerks
- Couriers and Messengers
- Stockers and Order Fillers
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Postal Service Mail Carriers
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.