CDL Driver Job Description
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We have had so many people burn their fingers when employing drivers, and they are generally to glad to find a good driver. It is especially applicable to smaller businesses where you can’t afford your drivers, causing mistakes, not even talking about a trip down to the local department. We have all been there, at least I have been there and seen multiple times over my career in transportation. Trust me, and this happens in large corporates; they can also deal with errors and mistakes easier with the available resources they have, especially money problems.

Do we get asked many times what a CDL driver job description is? Yes, and often, drivers are employed to drive a truck or vehicle from point A to point B as you instruct them to do as the employer, and most if not all drivers can follow this instruction well. The driver’s responsibility starts before he gets into the vehicle to check if the car or truck is roadworthy and insured; this is just the start. Drivers are responsible for the correct loading and utilization of the truck and its trailer to ensure you have safe passage from usually your yard to the customer yard and delivering your products as intended. These responsibilities are not just for truck drivers but all modes of transport and can be customized easily.

Truck drivers responsibilities include: 

  • Transporting various products from raw material to finished products to and from suppliers, mines, distribution centers to customers, warehouses, depots, and much more using land transport.
  • Vehicles inspections in ensuring a vehicle are not only roadworthy but also mechanically safe and getting required maintenance done to reduce costly downtime and unplanned maintenance.
  • Planning is key to the success of any driver to plan his route and to keep in line with his employer’s delivery schedules.
  • Communication. Drivers will be doing his route planning and need to communicate this effectively with the team in the office and deal with the customer when delivering. 

Job Brief

Be sure to explain as clearly as possible what you are expecting from your driver to do daily, and this is no different from a pizza delivery person to a driver from a manufacturer delivering to a Massmart distribution center. You are looking for an experienced truck driver to serve our supply chain needs to transport cargo safely and timely manner.

Responsibilities 

Each type of business’s obligations will be unique to each industry and what they’re needs are, so take the time and think about it. 

  • Transport goods from one location to another location on time.
  • Vehicle inspection ensuring that the vehicle kept in a pristine condition, and maintenance is done on time.
  • Route Planning, to keep up with demands of deliveries and customer expectations
  • Admin and keep track of all activities relating to drivers from fuel slips to check sheets, but most importantly, signed delivery orders.
  • Attention to detail. Monitoring and planning loading to be done correctly, especially with full load for weight distribution across the axles of the trailer. Then to ensure the correct quantities loaded or offloaded to avoid discrepancies.
  • Comply with rules and regulations. The law is clear on the drivers’ expectations and what they are responsible for when it comes to using the roads.
  • Ability to drive. Drivers need to be observant of other external factors like other vehicles and buildings where the driver might be collecting or delivering to avoid damages or losses to the owner.
  • Attention to detail. When doing deliveries and collection, avoid any mistakes and get the delivery note or order signed in full.
  • Communication. Report back any problems timely and fast from violations, accidents, and delivery or collection problems.

Requirements

The requirements for each industry may vary from one another, but it should still be more or less the same for all drivers.

  • Valid driving licenses 
  • Proven work experience
  • Diploma 
  • Background check and employment recommendations are always great
  • Criminal and Drug test
  • Medical fitness certificate
  • Recent accidents or driving violations
  • Extensive knowledge of trucks with rules and regulations attached to it
  • Ability to drive for long hours and travel regularly 
  • Hands-on experience with equipment like CB, GPS, AVL units, etc.

Putting to the Test

It will not harm you to take 10 minutes after interviewing a driver and let the future driver drive around the block to test his ability. 

Here are some great ways to recruit future truck drivers.

What is the best way to recruit truck drivers?

If you are looking to hire a collection or a delivery driver, the bases will be the same for them, with some minor details that will change between the two. We suggest that our customers use the above as a good outline and ensure that you take time when preparing an offer to a future driver. 

Please make sure you keep a signed letter of appointment in the personnel file. You never know when you might need it.