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The differences between flatbed truck drivers and local 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 truck driver and a local truck driver. Additionally, a flatbed truck driver has an average salary of $61,065, which is higher than the $59,069 average annual salary of a local truck driver.
The top three skills for a flatbed truck driver include CDL, flatbed and OTR. The most important skills for a local truck driver are CDL, customer service, and OTR.
A flatbed truck driver is primarily responsible for the transport and delivery of goods, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their duties mainly revolve around coordinating with logistics staff, planning deliveries, managing paperwork, responding to calls and inquiries from clients, and maintaining their vehicles in good condition by regularly conducting maintenance checks. There are are also instances when a driver must collect and process payments, making sure to keep records of all transactions. Furthermore, it is essential to load and unload goods to the location of deliveries and abide by all the traffic laws and regulations.
A local truck driver is an employee who drives a company truck to transport goods to and from specified locations within a designated geographic area. Local truck drivers must ensure that the transported goods are well-secured and not damaged during the transit. They must liaise with dispatch to communicate any traffic issues and delays as well as notify the management of any accidents or vehicle damage. Local truck drivers must also assist in loading and unloading of goods by using hand trucks and electric lifts as required.
Flatbed truck drivers and local truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flatbed Truck Driver | Local Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $61,065 | $59,069 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $91,000 | Between $40,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Dover, NH | Newark, DE |
| Highest paying state | Montana | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Jordan Company | Walmart |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a flatbed truck driver and a local truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Flatbed Truck Driver | Local Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between flatbed truck drivers' and local truck drivers' demographics:
| Flatbed Truck Driver | Local Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.2% Female, 4.8% | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 3.6% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |