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The differences between driver/owner operators and lead 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 lead driver. Additionally, a driver/owner operator has an average salary of $169,793, which is higher than the $43,769 average annual salary of a lead driver.
The top three skills for a driver/owner operator include CDL, DOT and OTR. The most important skills for a lead driver are DOT, work ethic, and CDL.
| Driver/Owner Operator | Lead Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $169,793 | $43,769 |
| Hourly rate | $81.63 | $21.04 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 170,784 | 821,463 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| 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.
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/owner operators and lead drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver/Owner Operator | Lead Driver | |
| Average salary | $169,793 | $43,769 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $417,000 | Between $27,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Savannah, GA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Texas | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Clean Harbors | Univar |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a driver/owner operator and a lead driver in terms of educational background:
| Driver/Owner Operator | Lead Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between driver/owner operators' and lead drivers' demographics:
| Driver/Owner Operator | Lead Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 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 | 4% | 4% |