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The differences between professional truck drivers and tank drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a professional truck driver and a tank driver. Additionally, a tank driver has an average salary of $51,471, which is higher than the $48,577 average annual salary of a professional truck driver.
The top three skills for a professional truck driver include CDL, safety regulations and on-time delivery. The most important skills for a tank driver are CDL, hazmat, and post-trip inspections.
| Professional Truck Driver | Tank Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $48,577 | $51,471 |
| Hourly rate | $23.35 | $24.75 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 739,437 | 783,401 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
The duties of a tank driver depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, they are responsible for transporting goods or hazardous materials, ensuring timeliness and accuracy. Their tasks often revolve around coordinating with managers or office staff, handling or organizing documentation, managing schedules, and liaising with clients. Furthermore, as a tank driver, it is crucial to abide by all the traffic laws and conduct regular vehicle maintenance checks to ensure everyone's safety.
Professional truck drivers and tank drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Truck Driver | Tank Driver | |
| Average salary | $48,577 | $51,471 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $69,000 | Between $35,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Denver, CO |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Colorado |
| Best paying company | Wellpath | Kemira Chemicals |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a professional truck driver and a tank driver in terms of educational background:
| Professional Truck Driver | Tank Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between professional truck drivers' and tank drivers' demographics:
| Professional Truck Driver | Tank Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.3% Female, 15.7% | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |