California CareerZone - Driver/Sales Workers (53-3031.00)

Job Definition: Drive truck or other vehicle over established routes or within an established territory and sell goods, such as food products, including restaurant take-out items, or pick up and deliver items, such as laundry. May also take orders and collect payments. Includes newspaper delivery drivers.

Job Zone

Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed

These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

Interests: Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.; Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.; Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Knowledge: English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.; Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.; Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.; Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.; Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Skills: Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.; Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.; Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.; Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.; Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.; Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.; Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.; Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.; Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Tasks: Write customer orders and sales contracts according to company guidelines.; Drive trucks in order to deliver such items as food, medical supplies, or newspapers.; Collect coins from vending machines, refill machines, and remove aged merchandise.; Call on prospective customers in order to explain company services and to solicit new business.; Record sales or delivery information on daily sales or delivery record.; Review lists of dealers, customers, or station drops and load trucks.; Arrange merchandise and sales promotion displays, or issue sales promotion materials to customers.; Maintain trucks and food-dispensing equipment and clean inside of machines that dispense food or beverages.; Sell food specialties, such as sandwiches and beverages, to office workers and patrons of sports events.; Collect money from customers, make change, and record transactions on customer receipts.; Listen to and resolve customers' complaints regarding products or services.; Inform regular customers of new products or services and price changes.

Wages

In 2008, the California average annual wage was $26,250.00.

Most people employed in this occupation were paid between $16,640.00 and $47,320.00.

Outlook: During 2006, there were approximately 46,000 people employed in this field in California. It is projected that there will be 47,700 employed in 2016. This occupation will have about 170 openings due to growth and about 820 replacement openings for approximately 990 total annual openings. This occupation .

Colleges and Training: Below are college programs that are generally associated with this occupation. To view colleges that offer these programs, click on the titles below.; Retailing and Retail Operations - A program that prepares individuals to perform operations associated with retail sales in a variety of settings. Includes instruction in over-the-counter and other direct sales operations in business settings, basic bookkeeping principles, customer service, team/staff leadership and supervision, floor management, and applicable technical skills.

Similar Occupations: Counter and Rental Clerks - Receive orders for repairs, rentals, and services. May describe available options, compute cost, and accept payment.; Retail Salespersons - Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel in a retail establishment.; Advertising Sales Agents - Sell or solicit advertising, including graphic art, advertising space in publications, custom made signs, or TV and radio advertising time. May obtain leases for outdoor advertising sites or persuade retailer to use sales promotion display items.; Insurance Sales Agents - Sell life, property, casualty, health, automotive, or other types of insurance. May refer clients to independent brokers, work as independent broker, or be employed by an insurance company.; Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products - Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of post-secondary education.; Real Estate Sales Agents - Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties, such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.