Truck Driver's Offsider

A truck driver's offsider assists the truck driver in the operation and management of articulated or rigid vehicles, including loading, unloading, securing cargo, and performing basic vehicle checks. They work across long-distance freight transport, local delivery, and construction haulage in Australian road transport operations. The role involves manual handling of goods, compliance with load restraint standards, and support for vehicle safety and regulatory requirements.

Load and unload freight using manual handling techniques and equipment such as pallet jacks, hand trucks, and ramps whilst adhering to Safe Work Australia manual handling guidelines. Secure cargo using chains, straps, nets, and tensioning devices to comply with the Load Restraint Guide. Perform pre-trip vehicle inspections including checking tyre condition, brake function, lights, mirrors, and coupling devices as required by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. Assist the driver in navigating routes and monitor compliance with mass limits, axle weight restrictions, and High Productivity Vehicle (HPV) access conditions. Maintain logbooks and communicate loading information to dispatch using radio systems, mobile devices, or transport management software. Inspect and report defects or damage to cargo and vehicles, completing incident or vehicle defect reports as required by the transport company. Guide the driver during reversing manoeuvres and loading operations to ensure safety around pedestrians and other road users. Clean and maintain the vehicle interior and exterior, including securing loose items and managing waste according to workplace hygiene standards.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate I or compulsory secondary education (ABS skill level 5). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Your back and knees will wear out. You're doing heavy manual loading and unloading in all weather, often on tight schedules. Many offsiders develop chronic pain or injury by their 40s. The pay ceiling is low, you're stuck in a support role unless you get your truck licence, and automation of loading systems is gradually reducing entry-level positions.

Regional work exists but is patchy. Construction haulage offers more regional jobs. Practically speaking, you need to be near major distribution centres, ports, or freight corridors. Remote work doesn't apply. Most jobs are with transport companies, logistics providers, and construction firms in and around capital cities.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 8911, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Dispatch Documentationcore
• Driver and Courier Liaisoncore
• Freight Coordinationcore
• Goods Receipt Processingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Managementcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Act reliably
• Customer Needs Assessment
• Delivery Scheduling
• Incident Reporting
• Multitasking
• Returns Processing
• Risk Identification
• Stock Counting and Stocktake
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Truck Driver's Offsider workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026