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The differences between over the road drivers and water 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 water truck driver. Additionally, an over the road driver has an average salary of $62,119, which is higher than the $50,440 average annual salary of a water 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 water truck driver are CDL, asphalt, and post-trip inspections.
| Over The Road Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $62,119 | $50,440 |
| Hourly rate | $29.86 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 711,143 | 860,835 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| 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.
Water truck drivers are professional drivers who are required to drive trucks to transport water for construction projects, oil rigs, and crews working in remote sites. These drivers must demonstrate their ability by driving their trucks in unpredictable weather conditions and navigating in heavy traffics. They must conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections while performing preventive maintenance on their trucks to ensure safety while driving. Water truck drivers must also check all load documents to ensure that they are accurate and received the required signatures for pickup and delivery.
Over the road drivers and water truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Over The Road Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $62,119 | $50,440 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $88,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Camden, NJ | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Walmart | MBI Energy Services |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an over the road driver and a water truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Over The Road Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between over the road drivers' and water truck drivers' demographics:
| Over The Road Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 3.7% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |