Truck Drivers

ANZSCO ID 7331

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
189,500
Future Growth
1.1%
Weekly Earnings
$1,663
Full-Time Share
82%
Female Share
3%
Average age
47

Summary

Truck Drivers drive heavy trucks, removal vans, tankers and tow trucks to transport bulky goods and liquids.

Tasks

  • manoeuvring vehicles into position for loading and unloading

  • loading and unloading vehicles using lifting and tipping devices

  • observing safety requirements when loading and unloading vehicles

  • making regular quality checks of vehicles to ensure they can be driven safely

  • estimating weights to comply with load limitations and ensuring safe distribution of weight

  • ensuring goods are stowed and securely covered to prevent loss and damage

  • verifying loading documents, checking condition of goods and obtaining certification of deliveries

Characteristics

Job Type
Machinery Operators And Drivers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
1.1%
(or 1,900 jobs)
From
174,200
in 2021
To
176,100
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 174,000
2012 179,600
2013 167,700
2014 192,200
2015 171,600
2016 186,000
2017 212,600
2018 196,600
2019 198,900
2020 192,000
2021 174,200
2026 176,100

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 85% of people employed as Truck Drivers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 19 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 49 hours per week in their main job. This is 5 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,663 per week, this is higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,328
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $2,142

    Median hourly earnings are $35, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Truck Drivers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,663 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
60.1%
2
Construction
7.6%
3
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
6.3%
4
Manufacturing
5.5%
5
Other industries
20.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

30.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

23.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

22.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

12.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.3% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.9% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Truck Drivers All Jobs Average
NSW 30.7 31.6
VIC 23.1 25.6
QLD 22.9 20.0
SA 7.0 7.0
WA 12.4 10.8
TAS 2.3 2.0
NT 0.9 1.0
ACT 0.7 1.9


  • Around 53% of Truck Drivers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
47
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
3%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Truck Drivers is 47 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 3% of the workforce. This is 45 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Truck Drivers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 3.6 9.3
25-34 16.6 22.9
35-44 21.2 22.0
45-54 29.8 21.6
55-59 13.7 9.0
60-64 9.7 6.0
65 and Over 5.0 4.2
Median Age 47 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Truck Driver. Some workers have a certificate II or III in driving operations.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Truck Drivers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 0.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 2.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 3.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 26.8 21.1
Year 12 16.6 18.1
Year 11 8.5 4.8
Year 10 and below 41.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Truck Drivers who are reliable, provide good customer service and are well presented.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 50%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 43%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 39%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 39%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 39%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 39%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 39%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 36%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 34%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 32%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 32%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 30%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 30%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 60%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 59%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 50%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 49%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 47%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 41%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 37%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 36%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 33%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 32%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 32%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 28%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 27%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 25%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 25%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 24%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 21%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 21%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 21%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 20%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 55%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 55%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 54%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 54%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 54%

    Response orientation

    Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).

  • 46%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 45%

    Spatial orientation

    Know where things are around you.

  • 45%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Hearing sensitivity

    Tell the difference between sounds.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 41%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 41%

    Night vision

    See under low light conditions.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 71%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 69%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 68%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 63%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 63%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 63%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 62%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 61%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 61%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 61%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 60%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 60%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 59%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 58%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 57%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 55%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 54%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 53%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 52%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 50%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 48%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 43%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 38%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 33%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 94%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 88%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 87%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 86%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 83%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 82%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 82%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 81%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 81%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 80%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 80%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 79%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 79%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 78%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 78%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 75%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 75%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 74%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 73%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 67%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 53-3032.00 - Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.


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