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The differences between class a drivers and drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a class a driver has an average salary of $56,620, which is higher than the $34,771 average annual salary of a driver.
The top three skills for a class a driver include CDL, customer service and OTR. The most important skills for a driver are math, basic math, and CDL.
| Class A Driver | Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $56,620 | $34,771 |
| Hourly rate | $27.22 | $16.72 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 706,950 | 1,017,998 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A Class A driver is an individual driver who has acquired a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate trucks or commercial vehicles to transport materials and heavy equipment. Class A drivers are required to plan over-the-road (OTR) travel by using GPS and ensure that they follow bulk cargo transportation laws, regulations, and guidelines. They must conduct proper maintenance of the company vehicles and provide accurate daily logs to stay in compliance with the company's regulations. Class A drivers should also know how to operate equipment such as citizen band (CB) radios and telephones.
Drivers are responsible for safely transporting people, packages, or goods from one destination to another. They should be familiar with the different routes that may be taken to reach the desired goal. They should be expert navigators and may use navigation apps to help them along the way. They should also be familiar with the basic mechanics of the vehicle they are using and the proper maintenance and cleaning needed to ensure that the car is running well. Drivers are expected to have excellent customer relation skills, a strong sense of direction, and superb organizations.
Class a drivers and drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Class A Driver | Driver | |
| Average salary | $56,620 | $34,771 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $80,000 | Between $22,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Mid-South Management | Air Liquide |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a class a driver and a driver in terms of educational background:
| Class A Driver | Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between class a drivers' and drivers' demographics:
| Class A Driver | Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 3.7% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 3.5% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |