The vast majority of small and domestic tarmacadam or bitmac surfaces will be hand laid and machine rolled. The bitmac is brought to site in an insulated truck or hot-box to keep it workable. It is generally dropped onto the relevant area, raked level and rolled by a double drum Bomag™ type, ride-on roller / compactor.
In awkward and tight areas inaccessible to a ride-on roller / compactor it is acceptable to use a smaller vibrating plate compactor, though this should not be used for the full driveway as the finished surface may inevitably have unattractive lines in it.
Neither will the surface have been compacted and compressed as well as it could have been with a heavy roller. A skilled operative working a ride-on roller / compactor will normally make five or six passes over the final surface or wearing layer to create a flat surface without any lines in the surface.