Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between class a drivers and local 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 class a driver and a local driver. Additionally, a class a driver has an average salary of $56,620, which is higher than the $48,160 average annual salary of a local driver.
The top three skills for a class a driver include CDL, customer service and OTR. The most important skills for a local driver are CDL, DOT, and post-trip inspections.
| Class A Driver | Local Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $56,620 | $48,160 |
| Hourly rate | $27.22 | $23.15 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 706,950 | 786,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 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.
A local driver is responsible for transporting people and goods and services from the distribution centers to various destinations. Local drivers operate vehicles and inspect the engine for any inconsistencies and system defects that may cause delays with the operations. They also schedule vehicle maintenance and repairs, keeping a record of receipts for the management's validation. A local driver must have excellent driving skills and a clean driving record. Additionally, a local driver should possess excellent communication skills, especially on handling customers' inquiries and concerns and escalating high-level complaints.
Class a drivers and local drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Class A Driver | Local Driver | |
| Average salary | $56,620 | $48,160 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $80,000 | Between $33,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Montana |
| Best paying company | Mid-South Management | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a class a driver and a local driver in terms of educational background:
| Class A Driver | Local Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between class a drivers' and local drivers' demographics:
| Class A Driver | Local Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% | Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7% |
| 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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.6% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |