Transport truck drivers
Career Overview
Transport truck drivers operate a wide range of commercial vehicles, including straight trucks and tractor-trailers, to transport goods and materials over urban, interurban, provincial and international routes.
This group covers a broad variety of trucks including special-purpose vehicles like cement mixers, dump trucks, and snowplows; light-duty delivery vehicles such as small vans or cube trucks; and heavy equipment haulers designed for transporting oversized loads.
Transport truck drivers work for specialized transportation carriers, municipalities and public utilities, delivery and distribution companies, and wholesale and retail suppliers. In recent years, more drivers work as independent contractors, operating as self-employed owner-operators.
Job Titles
Duties
Long-haul transport truck drivers:
- Typically operate and drive tractor-trailer, long-combination and straight-body trucks weighing over 4500 kg to transport goods and materials over long distances
- Plan trip logistics and get documentation needed to transport goods
- Perform pre-trip, en route and post-trip inspection of vehicle systems and equipment such as tires, lights and turning signals, brakes and cold storage
- Make sure cargo is properly secured and meets safety requirements
- Follow safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods
- Get special permits and other documents needed to transport specialized or oversized cargo
- Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled and fuel consumption
- Prepare bills of lading and manually or electronically keep logbooks up to date
- Communicate with dispatcher, other drivers and customers using communication devices and on-board computers
- Learn and follow weight, dimension and routing regulations
- May perform emergency roadside repairs
- May drive as part of a two-person team or convoy
Short-haul and local transport truck drivers:
- Mainly operate and drive straight trucks to transport goods and materials on local and short routes
- Perform pre-trip, en route and post-trip inspection and oversee loading and unloading of cargo
- May drive special purpose trucks such as tow trucks, dump trucks, snowplows, hydrovac trucks or cement mixing trucks
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
41,350% Employed Full Time
57%Long-haul truck drivers move goods over large distances, typically across provinces and the continent. They often drive at night when traffic is low and take shifts of up to 14 hours. Schedules may be flexible.
Because long-haul drivers can spend a lot of time away from home, many trucks are equipped with "sleeper" cabs with TVs, microwaves and computers. Long-haul drivers need to stay focused for extended periods of time and be able to react quickly in emergency situations. Long-haul drivers are legally required to take scheduled rest breaks, comply with federal Hours-of-Service regulations and ensure safety on the road.
Local truck drivers usually make many deliveries throughout the day. Because they serve local businesses, their working hours are often aligned with regular business hours; however, some transportation of specialized loads may take place during off-peak traffic periods or at night to comply with local permit requirements.
Transport truck drivers spend most of their time sitting in seats that are generally comfortable; however, it’s not uncommon for drivers to develop back or neck injuries from sitting for long periods of time or from loading and unloading cargo.
Most truck drivers work alone, although some long-haul drivers drive with a co-worker and rotate shifts.
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory or management positions, or into non-driving jobs such as dispatcher, safety officer or driving trainer, is possible with additional training or experience.
Transport truck drivers may transition to operating heavy equipment by upgrading their licences.
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Transport truck drivers must have:
- A Class 1 driver's licence for heavy duty (combination unit) trucks
- A Class 3 commercial licence to operate vehicles with more than two axles, which includes smaller commercial vehicles such as tow trucks and dump trucks
- An air brake endorsement to operate trucks with air brakes
- Additional licensing endorsement or certification for those driving articulated trucks
Class 1 training:
- Drivers must be at least 19 years old to earn a Class 1 licence
- Standard programs for Class 1 Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) are 140 hours (three to four weeks), but programs that offer more extensive training can be 12 to 14 weeks
- Before enrolling in a Class 1 program, students must successfully complete an air brakes and Class 1 knowledge test at ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia)
Class 3 training:
- Drivers must be at least 18 years old to earn a Class 3 licence
- There is currently no minimum training standard for Class 3, though this may change. Most training programs offer 20 hours of on-road, pre-trip and road test training, plus an air brake course
- Drivers must pass a knowledge test, a road test and a pre-trip test
- If the vehicle is equipped with air brakes, the driver must also pass an airbrake knowledge test and pre-trip assessment on the vehicle
To get an on-highway air brake endorsement for a heavy duty (combination-unit) vehicle in B.C., drivers must:
- Pass the Class 1 knowledge test, which includes air brake content
- Complete the B.C. Class 1 MELT course, which includes air brake training
- Pass an air brake pre-trip test as part of the Class 1 road test, using a combination-unit vehicle equipped with air brakes
To get an on-highway air brake endorsement for a single-unit in B.C., drivers must:
- Complete an ICBC-approved air brake course for a single-unit vehicle or have sufficient air brake experience
- Pass an air brake knowledge test and a pre-trip test using a single-unit vehicle equipped with air brakes. An air brake road test is not required for Class 3
Many British Columbia colleges and private companies offer truck driver training programs. To deliver the MELT course for Class 1 licences, driver training schools must meet all regulatory standards.
Drivers making deliveries to the United States must be at least 21 years old, pass a standard drug test and participate in on-going random drug and alcohol testing. All drivers must also meet medical standards, including vision, hearing and physical and medical screenings.
Employers usually have their own hiring standards above the minimum legal requirements. For example, some employers may require a secondary school level education or previous experience. Other employers may provide on-the-job training.
Other qualifications that may be helpful for people seeking work as transport truck drivers:
- A good driving record
- No criminal history—particularly as security screening for cross-border truck drivers increases
- The ability to fluently read and write English, especially those operating into the U.S. Under U.S. federal rules, commercial drivers must be able to speak English well enough to understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records. Drivers who can’t demonstrate English fluency may be placed out of service
- Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) certification for drivers who transport hazardous products or dangerous goods
For more information about the Canadian trucking industry, visit TruckingHR Canada. Visit ICBC for more details on getting a commercial driver’s licence.
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
41,350Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 2,340 | 5.7% |
| Kootenay | 1,725 | 4.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 25,290 | 61.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 1,185 | 2.9% |
| Northeast | 1,540 | 3.7% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 4,775 | 11.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 4,500 | 10.9% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2025-2035)
15,350Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2025-2035)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 700 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 780 | 0.1% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 8,590 | 0.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 660 | 0.4% |
| Northeast | 600 | 0.3% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 2,140 | 0.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,900 | 0.6% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2025-2035) |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 8,940 |
| Construction | 1,310 |
| Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction | 850 |
| Wholesale Trade | 810 |
| Retail Trade | 570 |
Insights from Industry
Industry sources report a sufficient supply of qualified truck drivers, but expect this may change as the economy improves and existing workers retire. Employers also report shortages in certain specialized roles—such as operating special-purpose vehicles—and in remote regions of northern and interior B.C., where finding and keeping employees is more challenging.
A large number of openings is expected as the transportation and warehousing industry grows.
Other job openings come up due to high worker turnover, especially in entry-level positions such as food delivery.
Resources
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B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructurewww2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/transportation-and-infrastructure
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BC Trucking Association (BCTA)www.bctrucking.com
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Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)www.icbc.com
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Professional Truck Driver Trainingwww.bctrucking.com/training
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Rules of the Road in B.C. – RoadSafetyBCwww2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/roadsafetybc
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TranBC, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructurewww.tranbc.ca
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WorkSafeBCwww.worksafebc.com
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BCTA – Job Boardbctrucking.com/job-board/
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BCTA Training & Eventsbctrucking.com/training
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Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) – Getting your commercial driver’s licencewww.icbc.com/driver-licensing/types-licences/Get-your-commercial-driver-licence
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ICBC – Commercial and air brake trainingwww.icbc.com/driver-licensing/driver-training/Commercial-and-airbrakes
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ICBC – Driver training schoolswww.icbc.com/driver-licensing/driver-training/Choosing-your-driving-school/melt-schools
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Métis Nation British Columbia – Class 1 driver trainingwww.mnbc.ca/work-programs/programs-services/class-1-driver-training
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what it's like to be a truck driver.
Watch the video below to see what it's like to be a truck driver.
