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City driver vs tow truck driver

The differences between city drivers and tow truck 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 city driver and a tow truck driver. Additionally, a city driver has an average salary of $50,203, which is higher than the $38,555 average annual salary of a tow truck driver.

The top three skills for a city driver include CDL, DOT and post-trip. The most important skills for a tow truck driver are transport vehicles, CDL, and customer service.

City driver vs tow truck driver overview

City DriverTow Truck Driver
Yearly salary$50,203$38,555
Hourly rate$24.14$18.54
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs1,003,605666,918
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 39%High School Diploma, 57%
Average age4848
Years of experience22

What does a city driver do?

A city driver is primarily responsible for the safe transportation of passengers from one place to another. They are also responsible for helping clients with their luggage, assisting the disabled, processing payments, and offering faster routes to get to the destination. One may pick-up passengers on the spot or through booking applications. Moreover, a city driver must conduct regular vehicle maintenance inspections and adhere to all the traffic laws, all to ensure a safe environment for passengers.

What does a tow truck driver do?

Typically working upon the directives of dispatchers, a tow truck driver is in charge of driving to areas where a vehicle accident or breakdown took place, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting them to repair stations or particular places. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to identify their needs, answering inquiries, providing assistance by performing minor repairs, changing tires or jump-starting cars, and recommending solutions when necessary. Furthermore, as a tow truck driver, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks on towing trucks for a safe and efficient service.

City driver vs tow truck driver salary

City drivers and tow truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

City DriverTow Truck Driver
Average salary$50,203$38,555
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $75,000Between $29,000 And $50,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYAuburn, WA
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaWashington
Best paying companyU&s Services, Inc.City of Detroit
Best paying industryTransportationTransportation

Differences between city driver and tow truck driver education

There are a few differences between a city driver and a tow truck driver in terms of educational background:

City DriverTow Truck Driver
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 39%High School Diploma, 57%
Most common majorBusinessAutomotive Technology
Most common college--

City driver vs tow truck driver demographics

Here are the differences between city drivers' and tow truck drivers' demographics:

City DriverTow Truck Driver
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 91.4% Female, 8.6%Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.6% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between city driver and tow truck driver duties and responsibilities

City driver example responsibilities.

  • Conduct daily pre-trip and post-trip inspections according to federal regulations.
  • Have held cdl a throughout career.
  • Reason for leaving left for training in OTR truck driving.
  • Obtain CDL and promote to position of freight pick-up and delivery.
  • Hook and unhook trailers and converter dollies to/from tractors and trailers.
  • Maintain vehicle cleanliness and replace gaskets, nozzles and other relate articles as necessary.
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Tow truck driver example responsibilities.

  • Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
  • Operate tow truck and equipment (dollies, go jacks).
  • Drive rollback tow truck, load and unload cars, secure cars on truck bed, operate hydraulic, maintain truck
  • Right eye injury and ineligibility for CDL )
  • Job require current CDL with clean driving record.
  • Maintain contracts with several companies as well as CHP work.
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City driver vs tow truck driver skills

Common city driver skills
  • CDL, 29%
  • DOT, 17%
  • Post-Trip, 10%
  • Hazmat, 7%
  • LTL, 6%
  • Pallet Jack, 5%
Common tow truck driver skills
  • Transport Vehicles, 22%
  • CDL, 17%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Loaders, 10%
  • AAA, 8%
  • Fuel Delivery, 5%

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