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The differences between garbage truck drivers and fuel 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 garbage truck driver and a fuel truck driver. Additionally, a fuel truck driver has an average salary of $56,767, which is higher than the $38,257 average annual salary of a garbage truck driver.
The top three skills for a garbage truck driver include CDL, customer service and post-trip inspections. The most important skills for a fuel truck driver are CDL, hazmat, and DOT.
Just as the name implies, a garbage truck driver is someone who drives a truck and uses it to collect trash, waste products, and recycling from dumpsters and trash cans on a set route. Their responsibilities include driving the truck along a designated route and handling lifting devices to collect trash. Furthermore, they may have to operate a front-end loader truck that lifts the waste into a container behind the vehicle.
A Fuel Truck Driver transports fuel and other petroleum products from one place to another, ensuring safety and timeliness. Their responsibilities include measuring and calculating fuel deliveries, maintaining records, handling documentation, liaising with clients, preparing progress reports, and overseeing the loading and unloading procedures, ensuring adherence to the company's safety standards and regulations. A Fuel Truck Driver must conduct regular vehicle maintenance checks and abide by the traffic laws and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
Garbage truck drivers and fuel truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Garbage Truck Driver | Fuel Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $38,257 | $56,767 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $50,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Trucking Partners | - |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | - |
There are a few differences between a garbage truck driver and a fuel truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Garbage Truck Driver | Fuel Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 60% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between garbage truck drivers' and fuel truck drivers' demographics:
| Garbage Truck Driver | Fuel Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 4.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 3.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |