73300 Transport truck drivers

What this occupation covers

Transport truck drivers drive straight trucks or tractor-trailers to transport freight. Long-haul truck drivers operate heavy trucks over urban, interurban, provincial and international routes, while short-haul and local transport truck drivers operate over urban and short interurban routes. They are employed by transportation, manufacturing, distribution and moving companies, and trucking employment service agencies, or they may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 14 main duties for this code.

• Operate and drive primarily tractor-trailer, long-combination vehicle and straight-body trucks weighing over 4500 kg to transport goods and materials over long distances
• Plan trip logistics and obtain required documentation to transport goods
• Perform pre-trip, en route and post-trip inspection of vehicle systems, equipment and accessories such as tires, lights and turning signals, brakes and cold storage
• Ensure cargo is secured properly in accordance with safety requirements and follow safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods
• Obtain special permits and other documents required to transport cargo on international routes
• Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled and fuel consumption
• Administer bills of lading and manually or electronically maintain log books
• Communicate with dispatcher, other drivers and customers using communication devices and on-board computers
• May perform emergency roadside repairs
• May drive as part of a two-person team or convoy
• May transport hazardous products or dangerous goods.
• Operate and drive primarily straight trucks to transport goods and materials mainly on local routes and short interurban routes
• Perform pre-trip, en route and post-trip inspection and oversee all aspects of vehicle such as condition of equipment, and loading and unloading of cargo
• May drive special purpose trucks such as tow trucks, dump trucks, hydrovac trucks or cement mixing trucks.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 3 of its 14 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 75201 Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors
• 74205 Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
• 72024 Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
• 14404 Dispatchers
• 75211 Railway and motor transport labourers
• 41210 College and other vocational instructors

Excluded from this code

• Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors (See 75201 Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors)
• Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers (See 74205 Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers)
• Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators (See 72024 Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators)
• Truck dispatcher (See 14404 Dispatchers)
• Truck driver helper (See 75211 Railway and motor transport labourers)
• Truck driver trainer - community college (See 41210 College and other vocational instructors)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

automobile carrier driver · automobile transport driver · bulk goods truck driver · bulk milk truck driver · cement truck driver - construction · coal hauler (except underground mining) · commercial driver · commercial truck driver · commercial vehicle operator · dangerous goods truck driver · dump truck driver · dumpster truck driver · escort - transportation · explosives truck driver · flatbed truck driver · freight truck driver · fuel oil truck driver · gasoline truck operator · gravel hauler · gravel truck driver · groceries long haul driver · heavy truck driver · hydrovac truck operator · line-haul driver

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• On-the-job-training is provided.
• Completion of an accredited driver training course of up to three months duration, through a vocational school or community college, may be required.
• A Class 3 or D licence is required to drive straight-body trucks.
• A Class 1 or A licence is required to drive long combination vehicles.
• Air brake endorsement (Z) is required for drivers who operate vehicles equipped with air brakes.
• Transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) certification is required for drivers who transport hazardous products or dangerous goods.
• Additional licensing endorsement or certification may be required to drive articulated trucks.