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The differences between owner/operators and truck drivers class a 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 truck driver class a. Additionally, an owner/operator has an average salary of $167,288, which is higher than the $63,270 average annual salary of a truck driver class a.
The top three skills for an owner/operator include CDL, PET and customer service. The most important skills for a truck driver class a are CDL, PET, and OTR.
| Owner/Operator | Truck Driver Class A | |
| Yearly salary | $167,288 | $63,270 |
| Hourly rate | $80.43 | $30.42 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 119,599 | 709,900 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| 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.
The responsibilities of a Truck Driver Class A mainly revolves around driving heavy vehicles and ensuring that all transported goods meet the expected delivery deadlines and quality. The Driver needs to have a Class A license and be emotionally and physically healthy to qualify. Among the duties of a Truck Driver Class A will also revolve around securing and monitoring the quantity and quality of items, maintaining the vehicle in good condition, abide by the traffic rules and regulations, adhere to the company standards and policies, and have precise coordination with every workforce involved.
Owner/operators and truck drivers class a have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Owner/Operator | Truck Driver Class A | |
| Average salary | $167,288 | $63,270 |
| Salary range | Between $105,000 And $264,000 | Between $43,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgeport, CT | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Reddy Ice | Walmart |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an owner/operator and a truck driver class a in terms of educational background:
| Owner/Operator | Truck Driver Class A | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between owner/operators' and truck drivers class a' demographics:
| Owner/Operator | Truck Driver Class A | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.8% Female, 33.2% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| 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, 13.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 3.5% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |