Light Truck Drivers
Also called: Bulk Delivery Driver, Car Escort, Commercial Driver, Deliverer, Delivery Driver, Delivery Person, Delivery Truck Driver, Directories Distributor
Drive a light vehicle, such as a truck or van, with a capacity of less than 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), primarily to pick up merchandise or packages from a distribution center and deliver.
What light truck drivers do
Typical tasks
- Obey traffic laws and follow established traffic and transportation procedures.
- Report any mechanical problems encountered with vehicles.
- Verify the contents of inventory loads against shipping papers.
- Inspect and maintain vehicle supplies and equipment, such as gas, oil, water, tires, lights, or brakes, to ensure that vehicles are in proper working condition.
- Read maps and follow written or verbal geographic directions.
- Load and unload trucks, vans, or automobiles.
- Present bills and receipts and collect payments for goods delivered or loaded.
- Maintain records, such as vehicle logs, records of cargo, or billing statements, in accordance with regulations.
- Drive vehicles with capacities under three tons to transport materials to and from specified destinations, such as railroad stations, plants, residences, offices, or within industrial yards.
- Turn in receipts and money received from deliveries.
- Use and maintain the tools or equipment found on commercial vehicles, such as weighing or measuring devices.
- Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations to bases or other vehicles, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Light Truck Drivers salary
The median annual wage for light truck drivers is $44,860 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $30,800 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $80,310. The mean annual wage is $48,770.
The mean hourly wage of $23.00 is 3.2× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Light Truck Drivers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $44,860 → in 3 years $49,300 → in 5 years $52,600 → in 10 years $61,600 (10-year range $53,000–$71,600). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Light Truck Drivers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Light Truck Drivers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Light Truck Drivers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Light Truck Drivers United States | ルート配送ドライバー Japan | 宅配便配達員 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $44,860 | ¥4.07M ≈ $25,852 | ¥4.07M ≈ $25,852 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $61,600 | ¥5.13M | ¥5.12M |
| Outlook score | 56 | 48 | 47 |
| AI replacement risk | 35% Low | 28% Low | 29% Low |
| Workers | 983K | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Light Truck Drivers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become light truck drivers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as light truck drivers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.