Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between truck drivers and cdl class a 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 and a cdl class a driver. Additionally, a truck driver has an average salary of $60,326, which is higher than the $52,203 average annual salary of a cdl class a driver.
The top three skills for a truck driver include CDL, OTR and DOT. The most important skills for a cdl class a driver are OTR, customer service, and hazmat.
| Truck Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $60,326 | $52,203 |
| Hourly rate | $29.00 | $25.10 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 827,858 | 696,903 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The truck driver transports goods and materials by land from and to manufacturing factories or retail businesses and distribution centers with the use of heavy trucks or tractor-trailers. Truck drivers assist and supervise the safe unloading of cargos to the destination. They must always check their cargo if complete and secured with cables, rope, or other materials. They should keep their truck clean, neat, and inspect prior the trip and ensure to be in good working condition to operate safely. It is very important that they follow with all appropriate safety procedures and comply with federal and state regulations. They must also be knowledgable and comfortable in using maps or GPS to navigate the safest and most efficient routes.
A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.
Truck drivers and cdl class a drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truck Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Average salary | $60,326 | $52,203 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $90,000 | Between $36,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | W. R. Grace & Co | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a truck driver and a cdl class a driver in terms of educational background:
| Truck Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between truck drivers' and cdl class a drivers' demographics:
| Truck Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 3.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |