How To Become A Truck Driver-Over-The-Road: What It Is and Career Path

What is a truck driver-over-the-road and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A truck driver-over-the-road operates large commercial trucks to transport goods across long distances. They may work for trucking companies or as independent contractors. These drivers spend time away from home, traveling to deliver goods. They must have a commercial driver's license (CDL) and adhere to safety regulations, including maintaining their vehicles and keeping records of their trips. The job requires physical stamina, mental focus, and the ability to handle unexpected situations.

ScoreTruck Driver-Over-The-RoadUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $69,158

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.3

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.84%

Asian 3.93%

Black or African American 13.63%

Hispanic or Latino 16.74%

Unknown 4.84%

White 60.02%

Gender

female 11.88%

male 88.12%

Age - 49

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 - 49

Stress Level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.6

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

1.4

Work Life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Truck Driver-Over-The-Road?

Pros

Potential for high pay and benefits
Independence and autonomy
Job stability and high demand for drivers
Opportunity for solo or team driving
Opportunity for a sense of community among other truck drivers

Cons

Long hours and extensive time away from home and family
Physical toll on the body from sitting for extended periods and loading/unloading cargo
High stress and pressure to meet delivery deadlines
Exposure to hazardous materials or dangerous driving conditions
Difficulty maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine

Key steps to become a truck driver-over-the-road

Explore truck driver-over-the-road education requirements

Most common truck driver-over-the-road degrees

High School Diploma

39.8 %

Associate

16.9 %

Certificate

15.6 %

Start to develop specific truck driver-over-the-road skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	34.05%
OTR	32.13%
PET	17.66%
Hazmat	6.61%
Work Ethic	1.87%

Complete relevant truck driver-over-the-road training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New truck driver-over the roads 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 truck driver-over-the-road based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real truck driver-over-the-road resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed truck driver-over-the-road usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed truck driver-over-the-road in most of states. 13 states require truck driver-over the roads 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 truck driver-over-the-road certifications

Truck driver-over-the-road 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 truck driver-over-the-road certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for truck driver-over the roads include Commercial Driver License (CDL) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research truck driver-over-the-road duties and responsibilities

Experience in semi driving, logging, managing bills of lading, light maintenance, vehicle inspections.
Ensure on-time delivery of LTL freight.
Transport HazMat products using proper placards and following require routes.
Transport basic HAZMAT cargo and ensure trailer are correctly labele.

Prepare your truck driver-over-the-road resume

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

Choose From 10+ Customizable Truck Driver-Over-The-Road Resume templates

Build a professional Truck Driver-Over-The-Road 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 Truck Driver-Over-The-Road resume.

Apply for truck driver-over-the-road jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a truck driver-over-the-road 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 do truck driver-over the roads rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Truck Driver-Over-The-Road reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Pros

Seeing different areas and being left alone. Meeting new people along the way.

Cons

Rough roads people that are texting while I'm driving down the road. At least 5 out of 10 drivers are texting.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Cons

Cinema

Pros

Experience 8 year GCC county almost work driving responsibility passenger drop location and food delivery timing driving delivery I am work hope

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros

I always want to be a good behaviour and transparency

Cons

I don't like laziness or bad behaviour or any controversy

What is a truck driver-over-the-road and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a Truck Driver-Over-The-Road?

Truck Driver-Over-The-Road career paths

Key steps to become a truck driver-over-the-road

Explore truck driver-over-the-road education requirements

Most common truck driver-over-the-road degrees

Start to develop specific truck driver-over-the-road skills

Complete relevant truck driver-over-the-road training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional truck driver-over-the-road certifications

Research truck driver-over-the-road duties and responsibilities

Prepare your truck driver-over-the-road resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Truck Driver-Over-The-Road Resume templates

Apply for truck driver-over-the-road jobs

How Did You Land Your First Truck Driver-Over-The-Road Job

Average truck driver-over-the-road salary

How do truck driver-over the roads rate their job?

Truck Driver-Over-The-Road reviews

Truck Driver-Over-The-Road jobs by state