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The differences between truck drivers class a and professional 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 truck driver class a and a professional truck driver. Additionally, a truck driver class a has an average salary of $63,270, which is higher than the $48,577 average annual salary of a professional truck driver.
The top three skills for a truck driver class a include CDL, PET and OTR. The most important skills for a professional truck driver are CDL, safety regulations, and on-time delivery.
| Truck Driver Class A | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $63,270 | $48,577 |
| Hourly rate | $30.42 | $23.35 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 709,900 | 739,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The responsibilities of a Truck Driver Class A mainly revolves around driving heavy vehicles and ensuring that all transported goods meet the expected delivery deadlines and quality. The Driver needs to have a Class A license and be emotionally and physically healthy to qualify. Among the duties of a Truck Driver Class A will also revolve around securing and monitoring the quantity and quality of items, maintaining the vehicle in good condition, abide by the traffic rules and regulations, adhere to the company standards and policies, and have precise coordination with every workforce involved.
Professional truck drivers have skills in communication, organization, and navigation, as well as a motivated personality and a good sense of responsibility. Their services are absolutely essential, with the most basic task being driving commercial trucks for transportation of goods and materials to distribution centers. Truck drivers transport everything from automobiles to produce to machinery.
Truck drivers class a and professional truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truck Driver Class A | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $63,270 | $48,577 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $92,000 | Between $33,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Walmart | Wellpath |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a truck driver class a and a professional truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Truck Driver Class A | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between truck drivers class a' and professional truck drivers' demographics:
| Truck Driver Class A | Professional Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% | Male, 84.3% Female, 15.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 3.5% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |