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The differences between cdl class a drivers and lead drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a cdl class a driver and a lead driver. Additionally, a cdl class a driver has an average salary of $52,203, which is higher than the $43,769 average annual salary of a lead driver.
The top three skills for a cdl class a driver include OTR, customer service and hazmat. The most important skills for a lead driver are DOT, work ethic, and CDL.
| CDL Class A Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $52,203 | $43,769 |
| Hourly rate | $25.10 | $21.04 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 696,903 | 821,463 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.
Lead drivers are professionals who are responsible for supervising the staff drivers of either a logistics or trucking company. These lead drivers must manage the communication between drivers and personnel while generating dispatch reports base on their drivers' tracking logs. They must ensure that vehicles are fit for use according to the standards of the Department of Transportation (DOT) by checking engines and maintaining sufficient fluid levels of all vehicles. Lead drivers must also train and supervise new drivers about the company's policy and safety regulations.
Cdl class a drivers and lead drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| CDL Class A Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Average salary | $52,203 | $43,769 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $75,000 | Between $27,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Mid-South Management | Univar |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Technology |
There are a few differences between a cdl class a driver and a lead driver in terms of educational background:
| CDL Class A Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cdl class a drivers' and lead drivers' demographics:
| CDL Class A Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |