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The differences between transportation drivers and tractor-trailer 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 tractor-trailer driver. Additionally, a tractor-trailer driver has an average salary of $58,498, 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 tractor-trailer driver are DOT, CDL, and OTR.
| Transportation Driver | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $43,236 | $58,498 |
| Hourly rate | $20.79 | $28.12 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,006,562 | 690,787 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| 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 tractor-trailer driver is responsible for picking up and delivering goods and services from distribution centers and warehouses to different locations across the country as required. Tractor-trailer drivers manage the best route planning to prevent delays. They should also have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, inspecting the vehicle's condition regularly, repairing any inconsistencies, and replacing defective components to ensure smooth operations. A tractor-trailer driver must have excellent communication and organizational skills, responding to the clients' inquiries and concerns and escalating complaints to management for immediate resolution.
Transportation drivers and tractor-trailer drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transportation Driver | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Average salary | $43,236 | $58,498 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $70,000 | Between $40,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cheyenne, WY | Atlanta, GA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | West Tennessee Healthcare | Exel Inc. |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a transportation driver and a tractor-trailer driver in terms of educational background:
| Transportation Driver | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between transportation drivers' and tractor-trailer drivers' demographics:
| Transportation Driver | Tractor-Trailer Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| 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, 13.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 3.6% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |