Will AI replace driver/sales workers?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 4h 18m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The breakdown: 14m that AI mostly does alone, 4h 4m that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 3h 42m (46%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 7.9% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 1 of 11 tasks, about 14m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Listen to and resolve customers' complaints regarding products or services. (14m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 2 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 4h 4m of a typical shift. 3 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 2 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Drive trucks to deliver such items as food, medical supplies, or newspapers. (3h 56m a shift; e.g. Gatik Driver (26- and 30-ft autonomous box trucks), in use)
• Sell food specialties, such as sandwiches and beverages, to office workers and patrons of sports events. (7m a shift; e.g. Neolix autonomous delivery/vending vehicle, in use)

3h 42m of a typical shift, or 46%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Collect money from customers, make change, and record transactions on customer receipts. (50m a shift)
• Review lists of dealers, customers, or station drops and load trucks. (43m a shift)
• Record sales or delivery information on daily sales or delivery record. (36m a shift)
• Maintain trucks and food-dispensing equipment and clean inside of machines that dispense food or beverages. (29m a shift)
• Arrange merchandise and sales promotion displays or issue sales promotion materials to customers. (22m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 100% work outdoors in all weather every day
• 100% work in very hot or cold conditions at least weekly
• 86% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time

We track 3 sourced company moves that affect this job. Most recent:

• Aug 19, 2026: Little Caesars starts Coco robot deliveries in Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami (Rolling out)
• Aug 19, 2026: Serve Robotics adds Grubhub robot delivery in three U.S. cities (Rolling out)
• Dec 16, 2025: Serve Robotics has deployed more than 2,000 sidewalk delivery robots (Rolling out)

On Indeed, job postings in the Driving sector are at 81% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 8.5% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 46,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $38,770 a year ($18.64 an hour), 24% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $22,590 and $59,980 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 7.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 478,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 46,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 409,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.26% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 99th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 478,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 64% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Active Listening, Service Orientation, Speaking, Time Management
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 3h 42m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Parking Attendants (2h 26m touched, $35k median pay)
• Stockers and Order Fillers (1h 17m touched, $37k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 observed in real AI use, 2 with robots in real deployments, 8 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.