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The differences between residential drivers and lead 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 residential driver and a lead driver. Additionally, a lead driver has an average salary of $43,769, which is higher than the $36,713 average annual salary of a residential driver.
The top three skills for a residential driver include CDL, safety equipment and clean waste. The most important skills for a lead driver are DOT, work ethic, and CDL.
| Residential Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $36,713 | $43,769 |
| Hourly rate | $17.65 | $21.04 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 751,657 | 821,463 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The duties of a residential driver depend on their line of work or employer. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around providing private transport to clients or providing public transportation services within residential areas. There are instances where they must communicate with clients, establish contracts, or be on call any time of the day. Furthermore, as a residential driver, it is essential to abide by all the traffic laws and perform regular vehicle maintenance checks to ensure a safe and healthy service to clients.
Lead drivers are professionals who are responsible for supervising the staff drivers of either a logistics or trucking company. These lead drivers must manage the communication between drivers and personnel while generating dispatch reports base on their drivers' tracking logs. They must ensure that vehicles are fit for use according to the standards of the Department of Transportation (DOT) by checking engines and maintaining sufficient fluid levels of all vehicles. Lead drivers must also train and supervise new drivers about the company's policy and safety regulations.
Residential drivers and lead drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Average salary | $36,713 | $43,769 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $48,000 | Between $27,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Plymouth, MA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Waste Management | Univar |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a residential driver and a lead driver in terms of educational background:
| Residential Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between residential drivers' and lead drivers' demographics:
| Residential Driver | Lead Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |