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The differences between over the road drivers and company 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 over the road driver and a company driver. Additionally, a company driver has an average salary of $65,430, which is higher than the $62,119 average annual salary of an over the road driver.
The top three skills for an over the road driver include CDL, PET and post-trip inspections. The most important skills for a company driver are CDL, OTR, and PET.
| Over The Road Driver | Company Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $62,119 | $65,430 |
| Hourly rate | $29.86 | $31.46 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 711,143 | 708,157 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Over the road, (OTR) drivers are the truckers driving the big semi-trailer truck that hauls all types of goods to their destinations across the states. Their journey typically begins with loading the freight onto the trailer, requiring them to lift heavy materials and load the cargo properly to avoid shifting while in transit. They often sleep in the sleeper berth at a truck stop to eat, freshen up and refuel. They are allowed to go on a 30-minute break after an eight-hour drive.
A company driver helps an organization with all transport-related duties and ensures that these are carried out on time. Company drivers transport and deliver goods, equipment, products, and staff members to locations required by the organization. They maintain the cleanliness of their vehicles and are responsible for informing the organization about repairs and maintenance. Company drivers must also obtain the appropriate licenses and should have clean driving records with no accidents and traffic violations.
Over the road drivers and company drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Over The Road Driver | Company Driver | |
| Average salary | $62,119 | $65,430 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $88,000 | Between $45,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Camden, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Walmart | Air Products |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an over the road driver and a company driver in terms of educational background:
| Over The Road Driver | Company Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between over the road drivers' and company drivers' demographics:
| Over The Road Driver | Company Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 3.9% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 3.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |