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The differences between route drivers and contract drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a route driver has an average salary of $45,492, which is higher than the $34,999 average annual salary of a contract driver.
The top three skills for a route driver include CDL, DOT and pickup. The most important skills for a contract driver are DOT, CDL, and tractor trailer.
| Route Driver | Contract Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $45,492 | $34,999 |
| Hourly rate | $21.87 | $16.83 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 266,899 | 1,007,663 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A Route Driver is responsible for delivering and transporting supplies or goods within an allotted time. The tasks will vary upon the organization or industry that a Route Driver works for, however, most of the time, the duties will revolve around picking up and dropping off packages at particular destinations ranging from homes to establishments, and communicating with customers. Furthermore, Route Drivers must keep their vehicles in clean and sound condition, report to supervisors should there be any issue, and adhere to the company policies and regulations at all times.
A contract driver mainly provides transport services on a contractual basis. Their duties typically depend on their contract or place of employment; they may deliver goods or provide private transport to clients. When it comes to delivering goods, a contract driver must adhere to schedules and guidelines, maintain documents, and coordinate with clients. Furthermore, a contract driver must perform regular maintenance checks on their vehicles and abide by the traffic laws and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
Route drivers and contract drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Route Driver | Contract Driver | |
| Average salary | $45,492 | $34,999 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $67,000 | Between $23,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | Blank Rome | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a route driver and a contract driver in terms of educational background:
| Route Driver | Contract Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between route drivers' and contract drivers' demographics:
| Route Driver | Contract Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 4.0% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |