A truck driver (commonly referred to as a trucker, teamster or driver in the United States and Canada; a truckie in Australia and New Zealand; an HGV driver in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union, a lorry driver, or driver in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore) is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, which is commonly defined as a large goods vehicle (LGV) or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) (usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck). Driver shortages have been reported on a global basis. In 2021, Poland's 120,000 shortfall in driver numbers was reported as the most significant driver deficit in Europe. No shortages were reported in Africa at that time.
Truck drivers provide an essential service to industrialized societies by transporting finished goods and raw materials over land, typically to and from ports, manufacturing plants, retail, and distribution centers. Truck drivers are responsible for inspecting their vehicles for mechanical items or issues relating to safe operation. Others, such as driver/sales workers, are also responsible for sales, completing additional services such as cleaning, preparation, and entertaining (e.g., cooking or making hot drinks) and customer service. Truck drivers work closely with warehouse associates and warehouse workers who assist in loading and unloading shipments.
There are three major types of truck driver employment:
Owner-operators (also known as O/Os, or "doublestuffs") are individuals who own the trucks they drive and can either lease their trucks by contract with a trucking company to haul freight for that company using their own trucks or haul loads for multiple companies and are self-employed independent contractors. Others also lease and make payments on trucks with the aim of purchasing them within two to five years.
Company drivers are employees of a particular trucking company who drive trucks provided by their employer.
Independent owner-operators are those with the authority to haul goods who often drive their own trucks, possibly owning a small fleet anywhere from one to ten, but occasionally as few as two or three.
Owner-operators, owner-drivers, and company drivers can be in these categories:
Auto haulers transport cars on specially built trailers and require specific skills to load and operate specialized trailers.
Boat haulers move boats ranging in size from 10-foot-long (3.0 m) bass boats to full-size yachts up to 60 ft (18 m) long using specialized low boy trailers that can be set up for each size of boat. Boats wider than 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m) or 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m) require permits to move and are considered oversize loads.
Dry van drivers haul the majority of goods over highways in large trailers. Contents may be perishable or nonperishable goods.
Dry bulk pneumatic drivers haul bulk sand, salt, and cement, among other things. They have specialized trailers which enable them to use pressurized air to unload their products. Commonly known among truckers as Flow Boys.
Flatbed drivers haul an assortment of large bulky items, such as tanks, steel pipes, or lumber. Drivers require the ability to balance the load correctly.
LTL drivers (location-to-location) or "less than truck load" generally refers to localized delivery jobs where goods are delivered by the driver at multiple locations, sometimes involving the pulling of double- or triple-trailer combinations.
Reefer drivers haul refrigerated, temperature-sensitive, or frozen goods.
Local drivers work only within the limits of their local areas. These areas may include crossing state lines, but drivers usually return home daily.
Household goods drivers, or bedbuggers, haul personal effects for families moving from one home to another.
Regional drivers may work over several states near their homes and may be away from home for short periods.
Interstate drivers (otherwise known as "over-the-road" or "long-haul" drivers) often cover distances of thousands of miles and are away from home for days, weeks, or even months on end. For time-critical loads, companies may opt to employ team drivers to cover more miles than a single driver.