Auto transport driver vs equipment operator-driver

The differences between auto transport drivers and equipment operators-driver can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an auto transport driver, becoming an equipment operator-driver takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an auto transport driver has an average salary of $51,450, which is higher than the $36,429 average annual salary of an equipment operator-driver.

The top three skills for an auto transport driver include transport vehicles, CDL and customer service. The most important skills for an equipment operator-driver are CDL, dump truck, and loaders.

Auto transport driver vs equipment operator-driver overview

	Auto Transport Driver	Equipment Operator-Driver
Yearly salary	$51,450	$36,429
Hourly rate	$24.74	$17.51
Growth rate	4%	5%
Number of jobs	703,161	607,301
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	48	45
Years of experience	2	4

Auto transport driver vs equipment operator-driver salary

Auto transport drivers and equipment operators-driver have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Auto Transport Driver	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average salary	$51,450	$36,429
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $73,000	Between $28,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between auto transport driver and equipment operator-driver education

There are a few differences between an auto transport driver and an equipment operator-driver in terms of educational background:

	Auto Transport Driver	Equipment Operator-Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Auto transport driver vs equipment operator-driver demographics

Here are the differences between auto transport drivers' and equipment operators-driver' demographics:

	Auto Transport Driver	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average age	48	45
Gender ratio	Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 3.4% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	2%

Differences between auto transport driver and equipment operator-driver duties and responsibilities

Auto transport driver example responsibilities.

Experience in semi driving, logging, managing bills of lading, light maintenance, vehicle inspections.
Drive tractor-trailer combination applying knowledge of commercial driving regulations, to transport and deliver general commodities.
Drive flatb with sand sacs from train depot to load site.

Equipment operator-driver example responsibilities.

Deliver hazmat material to job site.
Operate airfield/street sweepers to remove debris from pavement surfaces.
Unload full pallets and double pallets of groceries and merchandise.
Landscape, plant flowers, grass, shrubs and bushes.
Arrive at and depart from pickup and discharge points as required.
Conduct pre and post trip inspections and regularly service the vehicles.

Auto transport driver vs equipment operator-driver skills

Common auto transport driver skills

Transport Vehicles, 45%
CDL, 18%
Customer Service, 7%
Load Vehicles, 6%
TWIC, 6%
Delivery Schedules, 3%

Common equipment operator-driver skills

CDL, 23%
Dump Truck, 10%
Loaders, 7%
Tractor Trailer, 5%
DOT, 5%
Post-Trip Inspections, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Auto Transport Driver
Auto Transport Driver vs Equipment Operator-Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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