Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between truck drivers and water 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 and a water truck driver. Additionally, a truck driver has an average salary of $60,326, which is higher than the $50,440 average annual salary of a water truck driver.
The top three skills for a truck driver include CDL, OTR and DOT. The most important skills for a water truck driver are CDL, asphalt, and post-trip inspections.
| Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $60,326 | $50,440 |
| Hourly rate | $29.00 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 827,858 | 860,835 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| 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.
Water truck drivers are professional drivers who are required to drive trucks to transport water for construction projects, oil rigs, and crews working in remote sites. These drivers must demonstrate their ability by driving their trucks in unpredictable weather conditions and navigating in heavy traffics. They must conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections while performing preventive maintenance on their trucks to ensure safety while driving. Water truck drivers must also check all load documents to ensure that they are accurate and received the required signatures for pickup and delivery.
Truck drivers and water truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $60,326 | $50,440 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $90,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | W. R. Grace & Co | MBI Energy Services |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a truck driver and a water truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between truck drivers' and water truck drivers' demographics:
| Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 3.7% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |