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The differences between truck operators 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 truck operator 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 $39,608 average annual salary of a truck operator.
The top three skills for a truck operator include CDL, industrial cleaning and customer service. The most important skills for a truck driver-over-the-road are CDL, OTR, and PET.
| Truck Operator | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Yearly salary | $39,608 | $69,158 |
| Hourly rate | $19.04 | $33.25 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 667,980 | 689,630 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Truck Operators are individuals making a living by driving trucks and heavy goods vehicles such as articulated trucks, semi-trailers, and tankers. They are responsible for administering goods, loading and unloading into the truck, assessing the goods conditions, scheduling transport operations, arranging transport documentations, and inspecting vehicle conditions before starting work. Other duties include checking tires, fuel, oil filters, and oil levels. Truck Operators also supervise delivery operations, vehicle cleaning, tire maintenance, and refueling.
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.
Truck operators and truck driver-over the roads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truck Operator | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Average salary | $39,608 | $69,158 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $50,000 | Between $50,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint Paul, MN | Des Moines, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mars | Walmart |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a truck operator and a truck driver-over-the-road in terms of educational background:
| Truck Operator | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between truck operators' and truck driver-over the roads' demographics:
| Truck Operator | Truck Driver-Over-The-Road | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.3% 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% |