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The differences between transportation 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 transportation driver and a cdl driver. Additionally, a cdl driver has an average salary of $63,112, which is higher than the $43,236 average annual salary of a transportation driver.
The top three skills for a transportation driver include CDL, DOT and tractor trailer. The most important skills for a cdl driver are DOT, CDL-A, and customer service.
| Transportation Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $43,236 | $63,112 |
| Hourly rate | $20.79 | $30.34 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,006,562 | 784,044 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A transportation driver is responsible for transporting people and goods from one place to another. A transportation driver must have a clean driving record to operate vehicles carefully and efficiently. Transportation drivers must ensure that the passengers are safe and comfortable during the trip and that goods are in proper condition to avoid damage and defects. They should strictly adhere to the transport schedules and assigned routes to avoid delays of operations. A transportation driver should also understand maintenance basics of vehicles to perform repair and reconditioning of any engine malfunction.
A CDL driver is responsible for the transportation of goods from the manufacturing warehouse to specific store locations. CDL drivers' duties include inspecting the items before and after the delivery to ensure that the orders are correct with the right quantity, providing proof of delivery from the receiving customers, following the delivery schedule and report any delays immediately, monitoring the vehicle's engine for efficiency, and escalating concerns of incorrect deliveries and defective items. A CDL driver must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills, following safety procedures and road rules at all times.
Transportation drivers and cdl drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transportation Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Average salary | $43,236 | $63,112 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $70,000 | Between $41,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cheyenne, WY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | West Tennessee Healthcare | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a transportation driver and a cdl driver in terms of educational background:
| Transportation Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between transportation drivers' and cdl drivers' demographics:
| Transportation Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 3.6% White, 59.1% 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% |