Vehicle Drivers

Background

The military uses numerous vehicles to transport its troops, equipment, and supplies. Together, the services own and operate about 50,000 heavy trucks and buses. Vehicle drivers operate all types of heavy military vehicles, such as fuel or water tank trucks, semi-tractor trailers, heavy troop transports, and passenger buses.

What They Do

Vehicle drivers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Check oil, fuel and other fluid levels, and tire pressure
• Drive vehicles over all types of roads, traveling alone or in convoys
• Keep records of mileage driven and fuel and oil used
• Make sure vehicles are loaded properly
• Read travel instructions to determine travel routes, arrival dates, and types of cargo
• Wash vehicles and perform routine maintenance and repairs

Physical Demands

Normal color vision is required to read road maps.

Special Requirements

No information available.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Interest in driving
• Interest in mechanics

Helpful School Subjects

Helpful school subjects include:

• Driver education

Helpful Fields of Study

No information available.

Work Environment

Vehicle driving involves long periods of sitting. Drivers sometimes must change heavy tires.

Services offering this career:

• Air Force
• Army
• Marine Corps

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for enlisted personnel.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay. 

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

Job training consists of seven to eight weeks of classroom instruction, including practice in driving heavy military vehicles.

Course content typically includes:

• Accident prevention
• Basic vehicle maintenance
• International road signs
• Safety check procedures

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian vehicle drivers work for trucking companies, moving companies, bus companies, and businesses with their own delivery fleets. They perform duties similar to military vehicle drivers. They may specialize as tractor-trailer truck drivers, tank truck drivers, heavy truck drivers, or bus drivers.

Related Civilian Careers

• Bus Drivers
• Heavy Truck Drivers
• Light Truck Drivers

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 14,000 vehicle drivers. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new vehicle drivers due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After job training, vehicle drivers are assigned to motor pools or motor transport units. They generally work without close supervision. In time, vehicle drivers may advance to supervisory positions assisting in the management of motor transport units.