Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between commercial truck 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 commercial truck driver and a local driver. Additionally, a commercial truck driver has an average salary of $64,512, which is higher than the $48,160 average annual salary of a local driver.
The top three skills for a commercial truck driver include CDL, good time management and safety issues. The most important skills for a local driver are CDL, DOT, and post-trip inspections.
| Commercial Truck Driver | Local Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $64,512 | $48,160 |
| Hourly rate | $31.02 | $23.15 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 719,069 | 786,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A commercial truck driver is primarily in charge of transporting and delivering cargo, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities include driving for long durations, coordinating with logistics staff, handling documentation, and maintaining the safety of cargo. There are also instances where they must liaise with clients, unload and load cargo, and keep records of all transactions. Furthermore, as a commercial truck driver, it is essential to conduct regular maintenance checks on vehicles and adhere to the traffic laws and regulations for a safe and productive work environment.
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.
Commercial truck drivers and local drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Truck Driver | Local Driver | |
| Average salary | $64,512 | $48,160 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $100,000 | Between $33,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Montana |
| Best paying company | Tyson Foods | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a commercial truck driver and a local driver in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Truck Driver | Local Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between commercial truck drivers' and local drivers' demographics:
| Commercial Truck Driver | Local Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 3.6% White, 57.2% 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% |