Delivery truck drivers unload their precious cargo at a variety of places, including businesses, college campuses, apartment complexes and houses in residential neighborhoods. They are essential for getting goods from point A to point B.

When it comes to our letters and packages, we seem to forget about the famous adage advising us to emphasize the journey rather than the destination. We want the new pair of shoes purchased online or the birthday gift from relatives on the opposite coast – and we want them now. Lost along the way is the journey, where dutiful delivery truck drivers play a crucial role.

"The bulk of the first part of their day is spent delivering packages, and it can be a wide variety of different people and businesses that they are going to visit throughout the day," says Dan McMackin, public relations manager for United Parcel Service and former delivery truck driver. "Delivery drivers serve everything from hospitals to high schools to small businesses to large businesses, and they bring them all the things they need to run their businesses."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11.5% employment growth for delivery truck drivers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 133,800 jobs should open up.

After earning a high school diploma or equivalent, many new delivery truck drivers receive in-house training at their companies. This training can last anywhere from two to three months and involves a driving mentor riding along with a new employee to ensure he or she is able to comfortably navigate a massive truck on cramped streets.

McMackin says UPS offers a similar training for its new hires. "The company spends 1.3 million hours a year on just safety training for everything from hazmat to safe driving," he says. "Then, there are also safe work methods – in other words, how not to injure yourself while doing the job, how to lift with the leg and how to keep packages in your power zone, which is between your knees and your shoulders."

Drivers typically receive classroom instruction as well. Lessons center on package drop-offs, returns, taking payments and handling damaged goods. For most delivery truck driving jobs, a valid driver’s license and clean driving record are required.