Trailer driver vs tank driver

The differences between trailer 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 trailer driver and a tank driver. Additionally, a tank driver has an average salary of $51,471, 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 tank driver are CDL, hazmat, and post-trip inspections.

Trailer driver vs tank driver overview

	Trailer Driver	Tank Driver
Yearly salary	$50,801	$51,471
Hourly rate	$24.42	$24.75
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	795,437	783,401
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Trailer driver vs tank driver salary

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

	Trailer Driver	Tank Driver
Average salary	$50,801	$51,471
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $73,000	Between $35,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	-	Denver, CO
Highest paying state	-	Colorado
Best paying company	-	Kemira Chemicals
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between trailer driver and tank driver education

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

	Trailer Driver	Tank Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Trailer driver vs tank driver demographics

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

	Trailer Driver	Tank Driver
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0%	Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0%
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, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between trailer driver and tank 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.

Tank driver example responsibilities.

Deliver a variety of commodities to surrounding mines OTR and locally.
Employ industry standard HAZMAT procedures.
Deliver chemicals to various locations in town and OTR.
Deliver liquid propane to commercial and residential accounts/perform safety checks/operate forklifts/follow D.O.T.
Operate equipment, such as truck cab computers and CB radios.
Hooked/Unhook trailers and converter dollies to or from a tractor and/or trailer.

Trailer driver vs tank driver skills

Common trailer driver skills

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

Common tank driver skills

CDL, 45%
Hazmat, 19%
Post-Trip Inspections, 6%
OTR, 5%
Customer Locations, 4%
PTO, 3%