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Company driver vs commercial driver

The differences between company drivers and commercial 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 company driver and a commercial driver. Additionally, a company driver has an average salary of $65,430, which is higher than the $46,852 average annual salary of a commercial driver.

The top three skills for a company driver include CDL, OTR and PET. The most important skills for a commercial driver are customer service, CDL, and ladders.

Company driver vs commercial driver overview

Company DriverCommercial Driver
Yearly salary$65,430$46,852
Hourly rate$31.46$22.52
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs708,1571,016,123
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%High School Diploma, 36%
Average age4848
Years of experience22

What does a company driver do?

A company driver helps an organization with all transport-related duties and ensures that these are carried out on time. Company drivers transport and deliver goods, equipment, products, and staff members to locations required by the organization. They maintain the cleanliness of their vehicles and are responsible for informing the organization about repairs and maintenance. Company drivers must also obtain the appropriate licenses and should have clean driving records with no accidents and traffic violations.

What does a commercial driver do?

A commercial driver is responsible for transporting people, goods, and services from one place to various destinations as required. Commercial drivers must have a clean driving record to ensure the safety and security of the passengers and the merchandise's quality while on the road. They should also know how to operate a vehicle's engine, inspect system defects, and repair system malfunctions to prevent any delays in transportation and deliveries. A commercial driver must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry and report any problems to management.

Company driver vs commercial driver salary

Company drivers and commercial drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Company DriverCommercial Driver
Average salary$65,430$46,852
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $93,000Between $35,000 And $62,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYAuburn, WA
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaWashington
Best paying companyAir ProductsLaramie County Community College
Best paying industryManufacturingTransportation

Differences between company driver and commercial driver education

There are a few differences between a company driver and a commercial driver in terms of educational background:

Company DriverCommercial Driver
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%High School Diploma, 36%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Company driver vs commercial driver demographics

Here are the differences between company drivers' and commercial drivers' demographics:

Company DriverCommercial Driver
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 90.5% Female, 9.5%Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 3.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between company driver and commercial driver duties and responsibilities

Company driver example responsibilities.

  • Experience in semi driving, logging, managing bills of lading, light maintenance, vehicle inspections.
  • Ensure the safe transportation of HAZMAT shipments.
  • Load and unload trailers with propane fork lift.
  • Move, position, connect and disconnect converter dollies.
  • Work as a certify CDL instructor and trainer for new drivers.
  • Team driver on a dedicate LTL account hauling double trailer configurations.
  • Show more

Commercial driver example responsibilities.

  • Haul HAZMAT with roll-off bins, tankers, flatb, dry vans and dumps.
  • Plan delivery route & schedule using maps and GPS devices.
  • Develop and maintain an efficient routing system utilizing GPS and map.
  • Operate a Volvo commercial truck and transport regional and OTR loads.
  • Train and evaluate entry-level drivers while operating as an OTR flatb driver.
  • Determine if they would benefit from coming to school and obtaining their CDL.
  • Show more

Company driver vs commercial driver skills

Common company driver skills
  • CDL, 51%
  • OTR, 26%
  • PET, 8%
  • Hazmat, 4%
  • Customer Locations, 3%
  • Customer Service, 2%
Common commercial driver skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • CDL, 12%
  • Ladders, 12%
  • Customer Orders, 9%
  • DOT, 8%
  • Distribution Centers, 5%

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