Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Education Required
Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically enter their occupations with a high school diploma or equivalent.
Training Required
Companies train new delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers on the job. This may include training from a driver-mentor who rides along with a new employee to ensure that a new driver is able to operate a truck safely on crowded streets.
Job Outlook
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 4% (Slower than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.)
Licenses/Certifications
All delivery drivers need a drivers license.
Median pay: How much do Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers make?
$28,390 Annual Salary
$13.65 per hour

Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers pick up, transport, and drop off packages and small shipments within a local region or urban area. They drive trucks with a 26,000-pound gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity or less. Most of the time, they transport merchandise from a distribution center to businesses and households.

What do Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers do?

Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically do the following:

  • Load and unload their cargo
  • Communicate with customers to determine pickup and delivery needs
  • Report any incidents they encounter on the road to a dispatcher
  • Follow all applicable traffic laws
  • Report serious mechanical problems to the appropriate personnel
  • Keep their truck and associated equipment clean and in good working order
  • Accept payments for the shipment
  • Handle paperwork, such as receipts or delivery confirmation notices

Most drivers generally receive instructions to go to a delivery location at a particular time, and it is up to them to determine the best route. Other drivers have a regular daily or weekly delivery schedule. All drivers must have a thorough understanding of an areas street grid and know which roads allow trucks and which do not.

The following examples are types of delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers:

Careers for Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers

  • Bakery deliverers
  • Bobtailers
  • Delivery sales workers
  • Driver/sales workers
  • Light truck drivers
  • Newspaper deliverers
  • Newspaper delivery drivers
  • Pharmacy delivery drivers
  • Pizza delivery drivers
  • Route sales person
  • Sales route drivers

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