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The differences between over the road drivers and professional 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 over the road driver and a professional truck driver. Additionally, an over the road driver has an average salary of $62,119, which is higher than the $48,577 average annual salary of a professional truck driver.
The top three skills for an over the road driver include CDL, PET and post-trip inspections. The most important skills for a professional truck driver are CDL, safety regulations, and on-time delivery.
| Over The Road Driver | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $62,119 | $48,577 |
| Hourly rate | $29.86 | $23.35 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 711,143 | 739,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| 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.
Professional truck drivers have skills in communication, organization, and navigation, as well as a motivated personality and a good sense of responsibility. Their services are absolutely essential, with the most basic task being driving commercial trucks for transportation of goods and materials to distribution centers. Truck drivers transport everything from automobiles to produce to machinery.
Over the road drivers and professional truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Over The Road Driver | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $62,119 | $48,577 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $88,000 | Between $33,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Camden, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Walmart | Wellpath |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an over the road driver and a professional truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Over The Road Driver | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between over the road drivers' and professional truck drivers' demographics:
| Over The Road Driver | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 84.3% Female, 15.7% |
| 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, 14.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |