How To Become A Tanker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a tanker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

To transport petroleum and other hazardous materials from one place to another, the transporter must possess great skill and knowledge. In essence, the job of a tanker driver is to transport these materials with a tanker truck exerting a great deal of skill and knowledge. The tanker driver specializes in the pick-up and drop-off of a specified liquid or gas. They must maintain the truck regularly and follow all safe driving regulations. There might be no formal education requirements; however, applicants must have a certification or two.

One such certification is obtained after undergoing Hazmat training. Applicants are also required to have a Commercial Driver's License Class A license. The salary of a tanker driver ranges from $62,864 to $80,803 with an average base salary of $71,308. However, their salary depends on the extent of their experience and the number of working hours.

ScoreTankerUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,598

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.50%

Asian 2.39%

Black or African American 5.06%

Hispanic or Latino 11.73%

Unknown 5.61%

White 73.72%

Gender

female 9.03%

male 90.97%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Key steps to become a tanker

Explore tanker education requirements

Most common tanker degrees

High School Diploma

43.2 %

Diploma

17.9 %

Bachelor's

17.3 %

Start to develop specific tanker skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	98.02%
DOT Regulations	0.88%
Combat	0.59%
Sketch	0.34%
Routine Maintenance	0.17%

Research tanker duties and responsibilities

Prepare range and sketch cards.
Operate tracked and wheel vehicles over vary terrain and roadways in combat formation and armor marches.
Operate arms room ensuring proper security, issuance, return, and accountability of weapons and ammunition.
Exercise safety precautions in ammunition handling.

Prepare your tanker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your tanker 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 tanker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Tanker Resume templates

Build a professional Tanker 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 Tanker resume.