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The differences between heavy 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 heavy truck driver and a local truck driver. Additionally, a local truck driver has an average salary of $59,069, 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 local truck 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 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.
Heavy truck drivers and local truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Heavy Truck Driver | Local Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $54,369 | $59,069 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $75,000 | Between $40,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Newark, DE |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | B & B Co. | Walmart |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a heavy truck driver and a local truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Heavy 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 heavy truck drivers' and local truck drivers' demographics:
| Heavy Truck Driver | Local Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% |
| 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, 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% |