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What is a professional driver and how to become one
Does holding a license mean you are an expert when it comes to driving? Of course not, as they merely test your fundamental skills to allow you to drive safely. To be a professional Driver, you must be a skilled expert. That calls for hours and hours of continuous and safe driving experience. Also, you need to know all about your vehicle, driving rules, and making the right decision at the right time.
Professional Driving is more about physical and mental fitness. You must have clear sight, good eye to hand and foot coordination, and a clear state of mind while driving. There is no requirement of having a higher education degree for this post. So you can apply for this post after graduating from High School.
As a professional driver, you can get a chance to drive multiple types of automobiles. For the position, you might also require a short course or training. And to let you know, by opting for this profession, you can earn $47,654 annually, just by working 40 hours a week.
Avg. Salary $49,556
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 4%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%
Asian 3.60%
Black or African American 13.21%
Hispanic or Latino 17.43%
Unknown 4.66%
White 60.30%
Genderfemale 20.76%
male 79.24%
Age - 49American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 49Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is very poor
6.4 - fair
Professional Driver career paths
Key steps to become a professional driver
Explore professional driver education requirements
Start to develop specific professional driver skills
Skills 
Percentages Safety Regulations 16.24% Vehicle Inspections 14.63% CDL 9.97% Delivery Schedules 8.86% Customer Service 7.43% Complete relevant professional driver training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New professional drivers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a professional driver based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real professional driver resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed professional driver usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed professional driver in most of states. 13 states require professional drivers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License Url Arkansas Specific course required State exam required Commercial Driver (Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver) California - State exam required Commercial Driver License Idaho - State exam required Commercial Drivers Massachusetts - State exam required COMMERCIAL DRIVERS Missouri - State exam required Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Gain additional professional driver certifications
More About CertificationsProfessional driver certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific professional driver certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for professional drivers include Commercial Driver License (CDL) and OSHA Safety Certificate .
Research professional driver duties and responsibilities
- Manage delivery locations and execute pickup and delivery routes.
- Hold CDL license with a clean driving record.
- Evaluate and test new CDL grands and new applicants.
- Deliver HAZMAT products with the highest quality, safety and cost- effective form.
Prepare your professional driver resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your professional driver resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a professional driver resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Professional Driver Resume templates
Build a professional Professional Driver resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Professional Driver resume.
Apply for professional driver jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a professional driver job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Professional Driver Job
Are you a Professional Driver?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average professional driver salary
The average Professional Driver salary in the United States is $49,556 per year or $24 per hour. Professional driver salaries range between $33,000 and $73,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do professional drivers rate their job?
Professional Driver reviews
Seeing different areas and being left alone. Meeting new people along the way.
Rough roads people that are texting while I'm driving down the road. At least 5 out of 10 drivers are texting.
Cinema
Experience 8 year GCC county almost work driving responsibility passenger drop location and food delivery timing driving delivery I am work hope
I always want to be a good behaviour and transparency
I don't like laziness or bad behaviour or any controversy
Updated January 8, 2025
