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The differences between driver/owner operators and class a 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 driver/owner operator and a class a driver. Additionally, a driver/owner operator has an average salary of $169,793, which is higher than the $56,620 average annual salary of a class a driver.
The top three skills for a driver/owner operator include CDL, DOT and OTR. The most important skills for a class a driver are CDL, customer service, and OTR.
| Driver/Owner Operator | Class A Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $169,793 | $56,620 |
| Hourly rate | $81.63 | $27.22 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 170,784 | 706,950 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Driver/owner-operators are self-employed commercial truck drivers who operate trucks to transport goods for their customers. Most of these operators started working as drivers for trucking companies to gain experience and decide if it's the right career path for them. They are allowed to haul freelance or agree to a lease agreement dedicating their equipment to one product or customer. To become an owner-operator, one should consider many things, including business set-up, vehicle type, and licenses.
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.
Driver/owner operators and class a drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver/Owner Operator | Class A Driver | |
| Average salary | $169,793 | $56,620 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $417,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Savannah, GA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Clean Harbors | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a driver/owner operator and a class a driver in terms of educational background:
| Driver/Owner Operator | Class A Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between driver/owner operators' and class a drivers' demographics:
| Driver/Owner Operator | Class A Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 3.8% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |