* * * This is NOT a job offer * * * The purpose of this occupational guide is to provide you with useful information to help you make career decisions. If you are searching for a job, please go to CalJobs (for jobs in California)     OR      JOBcentral (for jobs nationwide)

More Occupational Guides

Truck Drivers, Light

THE JOB

LIGHT TRUCK DRIVERS drive trucks that carry less than three tons.  They 
normally truck products and materials to and from local area places such 
as factories, warehouses, train stations, airports, private homes, office 
buildings, and stores.  Their deliveries can be anything from parcels, 
household goods, magazines, medical supplies, and bread to oxygen tanks, 
meat and poultry, groceries, seeds, plumbing supplies, and auto parts.

At the start of work, Light Truck Drivers get a delivery schedule from the 
dispatcher.  Depending on the company's procedures, either the truck is 
already loaded or the driver loads the truck according to the order of 
delivery.  Once the driver gets to the customer's place of business, he or 
she unloads the delivery and the customer signs a receipt for the goods.  
Sometimes payment is made directly to the driver.  At the end of their 
shift, the driver turns in receipts, money received, records of delivery, 
and reports of any mechanical problems.  

Light Truck Drivers who sell company products to customers are called driver-
sales workers.  They are responsible for delivering their company's product 
and also representing the company.  Their duties depend on the industry in 
which they work.  For example, a wholesale bakery driver delivers and 
arranges bread, rolls, and other baked goods on display racks in grocery 
stores.  They must pay attention to the items that are selling well and 
estimate the amount and sort of goods that will be sold when placing the 
store's order.  They establish a business relationship with store managers 
and sometimes recommend a change in a store's order to meet customer demand.


WORKING CONDITIONS

Truck driving can be physically demanding. Truck Drivers must be able to 
unload and load goods, therefore, they must be able to lift and carry heavy 
items.  They also have to drive in difficult conditions such as bad weather, 
heavy traffic, and sometimes on mountain roads.

Although trucks are being made with more comfortable seats and better 
ventilation systems, they may not have air conditioning.  Physical endurance 
is needed for long work shifts.


EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

The California Projections of Employment, published by the Labor Market 
Information Division of the Employment Development Department, estimates 
that the number of Truck Drivers, Light in California will reach 154,830 by 
the year 2005, an increase in new jobs of 41,830 over the number there was 
in 1993.

There will also be an estimated 26,710 job openings due to people retiring 
or leaving the occupation.  Added to the 41,830 new jobs expected, this 
makes for an estimated total of 68,540 job opportunities through 2005.

(These figures do not include self-employment nor openings due to turnover.)

The outlook for Light Truck Drivers is good.  The turnover among beginning 
drivers is high, and turnover due to retirements and career changes goes on 
all the time.  The need for local deliveries has grown due to the constant 
development of shopping centers, homes, and malls.  Because of this growth, 
Light Truck Drivers are needed to make more deliveries from central 
warehouses in order to meet customer demand.


WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS

Wages can be different due to experience, where the work is, and company 
size.  Beginning salaries go from $5.00 to $17.00 per hour.  Light Truck 
Drivers with some experience can earn from $5.00 to $19.00 per hour.  Those 
that are fully experienced can make from $6.00 to $22.00 per hour.  

Light Truck Drivers work 48 hours a week or more, eight to ten hour days, 
and five or six days a week.  Most Truck Drivers start work very early in 
the morning to make deliveries to chain grocery stores, produce markets, or 
bakeries.

Drivers get health and life insurance, disability, and retirement pensions.  
Union drivers get benefits, but they are negotiated by union representatives 
of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.


ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING

Job applicants must have a valid driver's license, a good driving record, 
and be able to pass a commercial driver's license test.  Good hearing and 
eyesight and the ability to lift and carry are required to do the job.  Most 
companies prefer high school graduates.  Employers prefer applicants who are 
self-confident, responsible, self-motivated, and have a good appearance.  
Some employers require drivers to be 25 years old in order to avoid paying 
high insurance premiums.

Completion of a program at an accredited truck driving school can provide 
the training needed to job applicants.  High school students can take 
classes in shop and auto mechanics to prepare themselves for the job.  
Community colleges and vocational schools also give needed training.


ADVANCEMENT

Chances for promotion for truck drivers are a bit limited, but some drivers 
become driver trainers, supervisors of warehouses, terminals and docks or 
company branch managers.  Commercial drivers often change employers for 
better pay, different kinds of driving experience, more responsibility, or 
better working conditions.

Some drivers buy trucks and set up their own business or become independent 
contractors.  To keep the chances of losing money low, the independent 
contractor may take a course in small business management at a community 
college, at a university with adult continuing education programs, or one 
given by the Federal Small Business Administration Agency.


FINDING THE JOB

Job seekers can start their job search by contacting local trucking 
companies, wholesale distribution centers, retail stores, government 
agencies, and EDD Workforce Services Offices.  Jobs can be found in the newspaper 
classified ads under "delivery", "drivers", or "trucking".  Those who have 
no experience have a better chance of finding a job if they have completed 
a program at an accredited truck driving school. 


ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION

American Trucking Association
2200 Mill Road
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 838-1700

California Trucking Association
3251 Beacon Boulevard
West Sacramento, CA 95691
(916) 373-3500

RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES

Bus Drivers                       No.   2
Truck Drivers, Heavy              No. 255

OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES

DOT(Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th ed., Rev. 1)
Food - Service Driver         906.683-010
Truck Driver, Light           906.683-022

OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System
Truck Drivers, Light               971050
Driver/Sales Workers               971170


Source:  State of California, Employment Development Department,
         Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
         (916) 262-2162.