Trailer driver vs cdl driver

The differences between trailer drivers and cdl 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 trailer driver and a cdl driver. Additionally, a cdl driver has an average salary of $63,112, which is higher than the $50,801 average annual salary of a trailer driver.

The top three skills for a trailer driver include CDL, DOT and OTR. The most important skills for a cdl driver are DOT, CDL-A, and customer service.

Trailer driver vs cdl driver overview

	Trailer Driver	CDL Driver
Yearly salary	$50,801	$63,112
Hourly rate	$24.42	$30.34
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	795,437	784,044
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Trailer driver vs cdl driver salary

Trailer drivers and cdl drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Trailer Driver	CDL Driver
Average salary	$50,801	$63,112
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $73,000	Between $41,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	GCP Applied Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between trailer driver and cdl driver education

There are a few differences between a trailer driver and a cdl driver in terms of educational background:

	Trailer Driver	CDL Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Trailer driver vs cdl driver demographics

Here are the differences between trailer drivers' and cdl drivers' demographics:

	Trailer Driver	CDL Driver
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0%	Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 3.5% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between trailer driver and cdl driver duties and responsibilities

Trailer driver example responsibilities.

Check all load documentation for accuracy, inspect load and receive required signatures for pickup and delivery.
Drive flatb with sand sacs from train depot to load site.

Cdl driver example responsibilities.

Complete proper amount of OTR hours and training including school training to become CDL-A certify.
clean the delta airline of the meals, food, drinks for the next flight.
Pick up and deliver all kids of freight
Dedicate route driver for pet supplies company.
School bus driver transport kids to and from school
Obtain TWIC card for access to secure facilities.

Trailer driver vs cdl driver skills

Common trailer driver skills

CDL, 27%
DOT, 19%
OTR, 10%
Delivery Schedules, 7%
Post-Trip Inspections, 6%
Safety Regulations, 6%

Common cdl driver skills

DOT, 17%
CDL-A, 13%
Customer Service, 13%
OTR, 7%
PET, 7%
Hazmat, 6%