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The differences between transportation drivers and truck driver-over the roads 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 truck driver-over-the-road. Additionally, a truck driver-over-the-road has an average salary of $69,158, 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 truck driver-over-the-road are CDL, OTR, and PET.
| Transportation Driver | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Yearly salary | $43,236 | $69,158 |
| Hourly rate | $20.79 | $33.25 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,006,562 | 689,630 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| 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 truck driver-over-the-road (OTR) is an individual driver who specializes in hauling items such as heavy freight, machinery, or construction materials from a home terminal to delivery points. OTR truck drivers usually spend more time on the road due to the long distances they are required to reach. To avoid vehicular breakdowns and delays, OTR drivers are required to inspect their trucks and review shipping and transport documents. They are also responsible for unloading freights and collect charges from customers.
Transportation drivers and truck driver-over the roads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transportation Driver | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Average salary | $43,236 | $69,158 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $70,000 | Between $50,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cheyenne, WY | Des Moines, WA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Washington |
| Best paying company | West Tennessee Healthcare | Walmart |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a transportation driver and a truck driver-over-the-road in terms of educational background:
| Transportation Driver | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between transportation drivers' and truck driver-over the roads' demographics:
| Transportation Driver | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| 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, 13.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 3.9% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |