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  5. Transport Truck Drivers

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Transport Truck Drivers

On this page

  • Job description
  • Advancement and mobility
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2022-2026
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals drive heavy goods or material transport trucks. This group includes drivers of special purpose trucks and shunting tractors. Transport Truck Drivers work on their own, for various companies (transport, distribution, moving, etc.), or for trucking employment service agencies.

Environment

  • Vehicle or passenger compartment
  • Hazardous chemical
  • Noise
  • Vibration

Main tasks

Long-Distance Truck Drivers

  • Drive trucks to transport goods over long distances.
  • Plan travel logistics and obtain documentation required to transport goods (e.g. hazardous materials).
  • Inspect truck systems, equipment, and accessories (tires, lights, refrigerated compartments, etc.).
  • Make sure the cargo is securely stowed.
  • Obtain special licences to carry cargo on international routes.
  • Apply transportation contracts and maintain logbooks that reflect hours of service and distances travelled.
  • Work with dispatchers, other truckers, and customers.
  • Perform emergency repairs, as required.

Heavy-Transport and Local Truck Drivers

  • Drive trucks to transport goods and merchandise over short distances.
  • Inspect trucks to verify the condition of equipment and the loading and unloading of cargo.
  • May drive special purpose trucks (e.g. tow trucks).

Advancement and mobility

  • Additional experience or training leads to supervisory, training, safety, or dispatch positions.

Hourly wage

The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2020 to 2022.
Minimum
$16.57
Median
$23.00
Maximum
$30.00

Job prospects for 2022-2026

sr.comparaison-region.titre

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2022-2026

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2021

All of Québec

71,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
3.6% Female
96.4% Male

Not available.
  • 3.6% Female
  • 96.4% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2015

All of Québec

$46,000

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for women
  • None

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for women
  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Transportation and Warehousing
    NAICS 48, 49
    63% of jobs
  2. Construction
    NAICS 23
    8% of jobs
  3. Wholesale Trade
    NAICS 41
    6% of jobs
  4. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    4% of jobs
  5. Retail Trade
    NAICS 44, 45
    3% of jobs
  6. Others
    16% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Transportation and Warehousing
    NAICS 48, 49
    63% of jobs
  2. Construction
    NAICS 23
    8% of jobs
  3. Wholesale Trade
    NAICS 41
    6% of jobs
  4. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    4% of jobs
  5. Retail Trade
    NAICS 44, 45
    3% of jobs
  6. Others
    16% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

Secondary

DVS in transport par camion This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 5291

Placement rate: 88%

6.1% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
DVS in trucking This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 5791

Placement rate: 73.6%

6.3% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation

Also required

  • Class 3 or D driver's licence required for straight truck drivers.
  • Class 1 or A driver's licence required for drivers of extended articulated trucks.
  • Air brake endorsement (Z) required for drivers of vehicles equipped with air brakes.
  • Dangerous goods certificate for transporting dangerous substances or goods.

Sometimes required

  • Additional mention or certification sometimes required to drive articulated trucks.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Data collection
  • Operations and control
  • Monitoring operations
  • Information processing
  • Time management
  • Reading comprehension
  • Troubleshooting
  • Result evaluation
  • Oral expression
  • Critical thought
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Control accuracy
  • Distance vision
  • Limb coordination
  • Response orientation
  • Reaction time
  • Near vision
  • Speed control
  • Spatial orientation
  • Depth perception
  • Awareness of issues
  • Selective attention
  • Manual dexterity
  • Information organization
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Hand-arm stability
  • Speech clarity
  • Classification
  • Oral comprehension
  • Static muscle power
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Hearing sensitivity
  • Night vision
  • Peripheral vision
  • Visualization
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Focussed on results
  • Autonomy
  • Commitment
  • Rigour
  • Tolerance to stress
  • Respect standards and regulations
  • Assiduity and punctuality
  • Availability
  • Spoken bilingualism (French and English)
  • Patience
  • Tolerance to routine work

Interests

  • Work in transportation and maintenance

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Realistic
People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Conventional
People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Enterprising
People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Additional information

Note about CNP

Occupational information is provided based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016. The 5-digit code of the NOC 2021 is shown in parentheses for information purposes only for occupations that correspond to those of NOC 2016.

Official name of the NOC 7511 (73300)

Transport truck drivers

Job titles

  • Trucker
  • Long distance truck driver
  • Truck owner operator
  • Moving truck driver
  • Dumpster truck driver
  • Tractor-trailer truck driver
  • Long combination vehicle (lcv) driver
  • Explosives truck driver
  • Oil transport driver
  • Dump truck driver
  • Tank truck driver
  • Bulk milk truck driver
  • Heavy truck driver
  • Line-haul driver
  • Mobile concrete mixer driver
  • Flatbed truck driver
  • Low-bed semi-trailer driver
  • Coal hauler (except underground mining)
  • Freight truck driver
  • Gravel truck driver
  • Shunter - trucking
  • Bulk goods truck driver
  • Fuel oil truck driver
  • Groceries long haul driver
  • Automobile transport driver
  • Dangerous goods truck driver
  • Liquid fertilizer truck driver
  • Hydrovac truck operator
  • Short haul truck driver
  • Long haul truck driver
  • Gasoline truck operator
  • Ready-mix truck driver
  • Truck mixer driver - construction
  • Tow truck driver
  • Long haul tractor-trailer driver
  • Logging truck driver
  • Muskeg tractor operator
  • Truck-trailer driver
  • Escort - transportation
  • Transport driver
More Less job titles

Skill type

Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

Related occupations

  • College and other vocational instructors
  • Delivery and courier service drivers
  • Dispatchers
  • Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
  • Railway and motor transport labourers
  • Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

See also

Non traditional

Hats Off to You!

Last update: April 28, 2023

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