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The differences between driver managers and lead drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a driver manager, becoming a lead driver takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a driver manager has an average salary of $45,922, which is higher than the $43,769 average annual salary of a lead driver.
The top three skills for a driver manager include DOT, good communication and on-time delivery. The most important skills for a lead driver are DOT, work ethic, and CDL.
| Driver Manager | Lead Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $45,922 | $43,769 |
| Hourly rate | $22.08 | $21.04 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 3,141 | 821,463 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
The job of driver managers involves the recruitment, training, and assessment of drivers and their qualifications pursuant to driving laws. Driver managers manage vehicles confirming their safety and working order. They monitor the fleet to make sure that the deliveries are done as scheduled. It is part of their responsibilities to serve as mentors for drivers. They address drivers' communications and offer the necessary data to drivers. Also, they set periodical inspections of the vehicles in operation.
Lead drivers are professionals who are responsible for supervising the staff drivers of either a logistics or trucking company. These lead drivers must manage the communication between drivers and personnel while generating dispatch reports base on their drivers' tracking logs. They must ensure that vehicles are fit for use according to the standards of the Department of Transportation (DOT) by checking engines and maintaining sufficient fluid levels of all vehicles. Lead drivers must also train and supervise new drivers about the company's policy and safety regulations.
Driver managers and lead drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver Manager | Lead Driver | |
| Average salary | $45,922 | $43,769 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $70,000 | Between $27,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Univar |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a driver manager and a lead driver in terms of educational background:
| Driver Manager | Lead Driver | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between driver managers' and lead drivers' demographics:
| Driver Manager | Lead Driver | |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |