Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between owner/operators and tractor-trailer 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 owner/operator and a tractor-trailer driver. Additionally, an owner/operator has an average salary of $167,288, which is higher than the $58,498 average annual salary of a tractor-trailer driver.
The top three skills for an owner/operator include CDL, PET and customer service. The most important skills for a tractor-trailer driver are DOT, CDL, and OTR.
| Owner/Operator | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $167,288 | $58,498 |
| Hourly rate | $80.43 | $28.12 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 119,599 | 690,787 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Owners/operators manage the business in all aspects, especially in those related to operations. They ensure that every aspect of the business is running smoothly. They oversee finance, marketing, logistics, sales, and even the human resources of the whole organization. They set business goals, create action plans to achieve them, and make sure that the plans are followed through. They set strategic direction and make business decisions that would be the most beneficial to the organization. They ensure that the business has enough funds to continue operating and that the quality of the products and services they offer continuously improve.
A tractor-trailer driver is responsible for picking up and delivering goods and services from distribution centers and warehouses to different locations across the country as required. Tractor-trailer drivers manage the best route planning to prevent delays. They should also have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, inspecting the vehicle's condition regularly, repairing any inconsistencies, and replacing defective components to ensure smooth operations. A tractor-trailer driver must have excellent communication and organizational skills, responding to the clients' inquiries and concerns and escalating complaints to management for immediate resolution.
Owner/operators and tractor-trailer drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Owner/Operator | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Average salary | $167,288 | $58,498 |
| Salary range | Between $105,000 And $264,000 | Between $40,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgeport, CT | Atlanta, GA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Reddy Ice | Exel Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an owner/operator and a tractor-trailer driver in terms of educational background:
| Owner/Operator | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between owner/operators' and tractor-trailer drivers' demographics:
| Owner/Operator | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.8% Female, 33.2% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 3.6% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 3.6% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |