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The differences between truck driver-over the roads and cdl 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-over-the-road and a cdl driver. Additionally, a truck driver-over-the-road has an average salary of $69,158, which is higher than the $63,112 average annual salary of a cdl driver.
The top three skills for a truck driver-over-the-road include CDL, OTR and PET. The most important skills for a cdl driver are DOT, CDL-A, and customer service.
| Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | CDL Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $69,158 | $63,112 |
| Hourly rate | $33.25 | $30.34 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 689,630 | 784,044 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A CDL driver is responsible for the transportation of goods from the manufacturing warehouse to specific store locations. CDL drivers' duties include inspecting the items before and after the delivery to ensure that the orders are correct with the right quantity, providing proof of delivery from the receiving customers, following the delivery schedule and report any delays immediately, monitoring the vehicle's engine for efficiency, and escalating concerns of incorrect deliveries and defective items. A CDL driver must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills, following safety procedures and road rules at all times.
Truck driver-over the roads and cdl drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | CDL Driver | |
| Average salary | $69,158 | $63,112 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $95,000 | Between $41,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Des Moines, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Walmart | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a truck driver-over-the-road and a cdl driver in terms of educational background:
| Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | CDL Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between truck driver-over the roads' and cdl drivers' demographics:
| Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | CDL Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |