Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between haulers and driver/owner operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a hauler and a driver/owner operator. Additionally, a driver/owner operator has an average salary of $169,793, which is higher than the $39,903 average annual salary of a hauler.
The top three skills for a hauler include CDL, tractor trailer and OTR. The most important skills for a driver/owner operator are CDL, DOT, and OTR.
| Hauler | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $39,903 | $169,793 |
| Hourly rate | $19.18 | $81.63 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 894,837 | 170,784 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Haulers have some similar responsibilities across the various industries they find themselves in. As a hauler, you may be expected to check out the delivery truck performance and carry out routine daily maintenance on vehicles. Your job duties may also involve conducting emergency roadside repairs, replacing light bulbs, and delivering items like sand, building materials, and other goods for clients or as a construction company. Before vehicle take-off, you may be required to perform pre-trip and after-trip inspections to make sure that everything is in good working condition.
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.
Haulers and driver/owner operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hauler | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Average salary | $39,903 | $169,793 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $69,000 | Between $69,000 And $417,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Savannah, GA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Texas |
| Best paying company | ProDrivers | Clean Harbors |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Energy |
There are a few differences between a hauler and a driver/owner operator in terms of educational background:
| Hauler | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between haulers' and driver/owner operators' demographics:
| Hauler | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 3.9% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |