Carriage driver
Also known as: coachman, fiacre driver, horse-drawn carriage driver, horse-drawn hackney carriage driver, coachwoman, horse-drawn fiacre driver
About this occupation
Carriage drivers tranport passengers in horse-drawn carriages. They ensure passengers' safety and care for the horses.
Essential skills and knowledge
- animal behaviour
- road traffic laws
- focus on passengers
- communicate with customers
- drive carriage
- obey traffic rules
- harness horses to carriage
- tolerate sitting for long periods
- assist passengers
- ensure passenger comfort
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (O*NET 53-3032.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
- Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
- Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
- Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
- Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$58,640 a year (2025), 2,062,040 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (3.6)
- Government and PoliticsO*NET: Law and GovernmentImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Light Truck Drivers
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
- Taxi Drivers
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
- Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.