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The differences between flatbed drivers and water truck 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 flatbed driver and a water truck driver. Additionally, a flatbed driver has an average salary of $57,099, which is higher than the $50,440 average annual salary of a water truck driver.
The top three skills for a flatbed driver include CDL, OTR and customer service. The most important skills for a water truck driver are CDL, asphalt, and post-trip inspections.
| Flatbed Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $57,099 | $50,440 |
| Hourly rate | $27.45 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 781,449 | 860,835 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A flatbed driver is responsible for operating flatbed trucks to manage distribution and deliveries of goods and services from the warehouse to various assigned designations. Flatbed drivers assist in loading and unloading items, maintain a copy of receipt orders, process payments, and respond to the customers' inquiries and concerns. They also inspect the stability and performance of the truck's engine before and after operations and perform necessary repairs to prevent delivery delays and avoid potential road hazards.
Water truck drivers are professional drivers who are required to drive trucks to transport water for construction projects, oil rigs, and crews working in remote sites. These drivers must demonstrate their ability by driving their trucks in unpredictable weather conditions and navigating in heavy traffics. They must conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections while performing preventive maintenance on their trucks to ensure safety while driving. Water truck drivers must also check all load documents to ensure that they are accurate and received the required signatures for pickup and delivery.
Flatbed drivers and water truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flatbed Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $57,099 | $50,440 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $83,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Hub Group | MBI Energy Services |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a flatbed driver and a water truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Flatbed Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between flatbed drivers' and water truck drivers' demographics:
| Flatbed Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 3.7% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |