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The differences between transport truck drivers and tow truck 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 transport truck driver and a tow truck driver. Additionally, a transport truck driver has an average salary of $57,936, which is higher than the $38,555 average annual salary of a tow truck driver.
The top three skills for a transport truck driver include CDL, traffic violations and customer service. The most important skills for a tow truck driver are transport vehicles, CDL, and customer service.
| Transport Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $57,936 | $38,555 |
| Hourly rate | $27.85 | $18.54 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 699,001 | 666,918 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A transport truck driver is in charge of managing and transporting goods from one place to another, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities typically revolve around loading and unloading packages, managing and handling documents, liaising with clients, and performing inspections to ensure the quality of goods. Furthermore, like a transport truck driver, it is essential to perform regular vehicle maintenance checks and abide by the traffic laws to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
Typically working upon the directives of dispatchers, a tow truck driver is in charge of driving to areas where a vehicle accident or breakdown took place, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting them to repair stations or particular places. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to identify their needs, answering inquiries, providing assistance by performing minor repairs, changing tires or jump-starting cars, and recommending solutions when necessary. Furthermore, as a tow truck driver, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks on towing trucks for a safe and efficient service.
Transport truck drivers and tow truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transport Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $57,936 | $38,555 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $86,000 | Between $29,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Framingham, MA | Auburn, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Walmart | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a transport truck driver and a tow truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Transport Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between transport truck drivers' and tow truck drivers' demographics:
| Transport Truck Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |