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The differences between heavy truck drivers and drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a heavy truck driver has an average salary of $54,369, which is higher than the $34,771 average annual salary of a driver.
The top three skills for a heavy truck driver include CDL, safety rules and hazmat. The most important skills for a driver are math, basic math, and CDL.
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.
Drivers are responsible for safely transporting people, packages, or goods from one destination to another. They should be familiar with the different routes that may be taken to reach the desired goal. They should be expert navigators and may use navigation apps to help them along the way. They should also be familiar with the basic mechanics of the vehicle they are using and the proper maintenance and cleaning needed to ensure that the car is running well. Drivers are expected to have excellent customer relation skills, a strong sense of direction, and superb organizations.
Heavy truck drivers and drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Heavy Truck Driver | Driver | |
| Average salary | $54,369 | $34,771 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $75,000 | Between $22,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Vermont |
| Best paying company | B & B Co. | Air Liquide |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a heavy truck driver and a driver in terms of educational background:
| Heavy Truck Driver | Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between heavy truck drivers' and drivers' demographics:
| Heavy Truck Driver | Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| 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, 12.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 3.5% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |