Driver/Sales Workers

Drive truck or other vehicle over established routes or within an established territory and sell or deliver goods, such as food products, including restaurant take-out items, or pick up or deliver items such as commercial laundry. May also take orders, collect payment, or stock merchandise at point of delivery.

The occupation "Driver/Sales Workers" is assessed to have an automation risk of 56.2%, which closely aligns with its base risk of 56.8%. This risk level indicates that over half of the tasks performed in this job could potentially be automated due to advances in technologies such as autonomous vehicles, AI-driven sales software, and digital recordkeeping. The primary drivers of automability are the repetitive and rule-based nature of many core tasks. For example, driving trucks to deliver items like food or medical supplies can be increasingly managed by self-driving vehicles, and recording sales or delivery information is easily handled by digital systems. Furthermore, informing regular customers of new products, services, or price changes can be efficiently managed through automated messaging platforms and customer relationship management tools. Nonetheless, there are several tasks within the "Driver/Sales Workers" occupation that are more resistant to automation due to their reliance on human interaction, adaptability, and judgment. Selling food specialties, such as sandwiches and beverages, to office workers or event patrons requires personal engagement, an understanding of customer preferences, and sometimes quick improvisation—areas where machines lag behind. Reviewing lists of dealers, customers, or station drops and loading trucks also demands situational awareness and adaptability that current robots or automated systems may struggle to consistently replicate. Writing customer orders and sales contracts according to company guidelines often involves nuanced judgment and customization, which are still challenging for AI technologies. Bottleneck skills further illustrate why some aspects of the occupation remain resistant to automation. Skills such as originality, scored at 2.4% and 2.0%, indicate a minimal but critical need for unique or creative thinking within this role. While these percentages are low, their presence highlights the occasional requirement for novel solutions or approaches when dealing with complex customer interactions or unforeseen delivery issues. These bottleneck skills, though not dominant in the occupation, serve as a significant barrier against total automation, ensuring that certain human roles and decision-making capabilities remain indispensable for effective performance in this field.