Transport Truck Drivers
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
Job prospects for 2022-2026
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2021
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 3.6% Female
- 96.4% Male
- 3.6% Female
- 96.4% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2015
All of Québec
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
-
NAICS 48, 4963% of jobs
-
NAICS 238% of jobs
-
NAICS 416% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 564% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 453% of jobs
-
Others16% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 48, 4963% of jobs
-
NAICS 238% of jobs
-
NAICS 416% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 564% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 453% of jobs
-
Others16% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Secondary
DVS in transport par camion 
Placement rate: 88%
6.1% of graduates pursue further studies
DVS in trucking
Placement rate: 73.6%
6.3% of graduates pursue further studies
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
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
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.
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
Skill type
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
Last update: April 28, 2023
