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The differences between route drivers and local drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a local driver has an average salary of $48,160, which is higher than the $45,492 average annual salary of a route driver.
The top three skills for a route driver include CDL, DOT and pickup. The most important skills for a local driver are CDL, DOT, and post-trip inspections.
| Route Driver | Local Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $45,492 | $48,160 |
| Hourly rate | $21.87 | $23.15 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 266,899 | 786,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| 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 local driver is responsible for transporting people and goods and services from the distribution centers to various destinations. Local drivers operate vehicles and inspect the engine for any inconsistencies and system defects that may cause delays with the operations. They also schedule vehicle maintenance and repairs, keeping a record of receipts for the management's validation. A local driver must have excellent driving skills and a clean driving record. Additionally, a local driver should possess excellent communication skills, especially on handling customers' inquiries and concerns and escalating high-level complaints.
Route drivers and local drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Route Driver | Local Driver | |
| Average salary | $45,492 | $48,160 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $67,000 | Between $33,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Montana |
| Best paying company | Blank Rome | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a route driver and a local driver in terms of educational background:
| Route Driver | Local Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between route drivers' and local drivers' demographics:
| Route Driver | Local Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7% |
| 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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.6% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |