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The differences between heavy truck drivers and class a 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 heavy truck driver and a class a driver. Additionally, a class a driver has an average salary of $56,620, which is higher than the $54,369 average annual salary of a heavy truck driver.
The top three skills for a heavy truck driver include CDL, safety rules and hazmat. The most important skills for a class a driver are CDL, customer service, and OTR.
A heavy truck driver delivers goods and other heavy loads for clients. They transport these goods within a designated route from the manufacturing warehouse to designated store locations. In addition to driving, they determine if their truck complies with the weight or height restrictions on certain bridges and tunnels and modifies routes as necessary.
A Class A driver is an individual driver who has acquired a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate trucks or commercial vehicles to transport materials and heavy equipment. Class A drivers are required to plan over-the-road (OTR) travel by using GPS and ensure that they follow bulk cargo transportation laws, regulations, and guidelines. They must conduct proper maintenance of the company vehicles and provide accurate daily logs to stay in compliance with the company's regulations. Class A drivers should also know how to operate equipment such as citizen band (CB) radios and telephones.
Heavy truck drivers and class a drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Heavy Truck Driver | Class A Driver | |
| Average salary | $54,369 | $56,620 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $75,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | California | Vermont |
| Best paying company | B & B Co. | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a heavy truck driver and a class a driver in terms of educational background:
| Heavy Truck Driver | Class A Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between heavy truck drivers' and class a drivers' demographics:
| Heavy Truck Driver | Class A Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 3.9% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 3.7% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |