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The differences between oil truck drivers and tow 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 an oil truck driver and a tow truck driver. Additionally, an oil truck driver has an average salary of $48,469, which is higher than the $38,555 average annual salary of a tow truck driver.
The top three skills for an oil truck driver include CDL, DOT and safety regulations. The most important skills for a tow truck driver are transport vehicles, CDL, and customer service.
| Oil Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $48,469 | $38,555 |
| Hourly rate | $23.30 | $18.54 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 695,312 | 666,918 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Oil Truck Drivers are responsible for fuel oil transportation by road. Their duties include loading tank at the organization's assigned fuel terminal, conducting fuel oil delivery to customer's site, ensuring accurate paperwork, operate oil tankers and forklift trucks as well as undertake daily vehicle maintenance. Besides that, they are involved in maintaining a good driving record, providing the best customer service to clients, and documenting delivery logs. Oil truck drivers also undertake the issuance of bills of lading after fuel delivery, plan work schedules with managers, and ensure work adheres to health and safety protocols.
Typically working upon the directives of dispatchers, a tow truck driver is in charge of driving to areas where a vehicle accident or breakdown took place, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting them to repair stations or particular places. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to identify their needs, answering inquiries, providing assistance by performing minor repairs, changing tires or jump-starting cars, and recommending solutions when necessary. Furthermore, as a tow truck driver, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks on towing trucks for a safe and efficient service.
Oil truck drivers and tow truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Oil Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $48,469 | $38,555 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $78,000 | Between $29,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Williston, ND | Auburn, WA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sentinel Transportation | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an oil truck driver and a tow truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Oil Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between oil truck drivers' and tow truck drivers' demographics:
| Oil Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 24.2% Asian, 3.1% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |