The Salary Scale For Truck Drivers
How To Understand Trucker Pay & Benefits

Long drives, big trucks, and truck stop food are just some of the things that go along with being a trucker today. For a truck driver, however, the biggest incentive is their paycheck...
The average trucker salary varies by location, experience & company
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We're well into 2020 and freight demand is on the rise again. Truck drivers are still in high demand with a massive lack of qualified drivers to fill the ranks of many trucking companies.
But for potential drivers, the biggest question remains: how much does truck driving pay in 2020?
There are a few variables that go into the "average" we use, but it comes from over 6.5 million salaries submitted from truckers online and job boards.
A large data source of this kind allows us to have a better understanding of how much the average trucker will make and share it with you. Remember, this is a national average and you should check with each company to verify the data in your area.
Our new median pay is $59,158
This comes out to drivers earning $1,137 per week. From the data set provided, we can also see that at the lowest point, salaries were $17,200 per year. We're assuming that this is a part-time position wherein the driver did not log a lot of time.
Alternatively, the high-end salary was $166,000 per year. These drivers either have a very long tenure, but most likely they're owner-operators.
Trucking Company Pay Rankings
Pay Ranking | Company | Annual Salary | Pay Per Hour | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sysco | $87,204 | $41.93 | |
2 | Wal-Mart | $86,000 | $41.35 | |
3 | GP Transco | $84,000 | $40.38 | |
4 | Epes Transport | $83,921 | $40.35 | |
5 | Mercer Transportation | $83,740 | $40.26 | |
6 | Grand Island Express | $83,000 | $39.91 | |
7 | ATS Trucking | $80,000 | $38.46 | |
8 | Brady Trucking | $79,906 | $38.42 | |
9 | Western Express | $79,628 | $38.28 | |
10 | DOT Foods Transportation | $77,807 | $37.41 | |
11 | Trimac Transportation | $76,796 | $36.92 | |
12 | Estes Trucking | $75,000 | $36.06 | |
13 | PTL Trucking | $75,000 | $36.06 | |
14 | Foodliner | $74,580 | $35.86 | |
15 | ABF Freight | $73,562 | $35.37 | |
16 | Hub Group | $73,500 | $35.34 | |
17 | Dupre Logistics | $73,488 | $35.33 | |
18 | Barr-Nunn | $73,358 | $35.27 | |
19 | Central Transport | $72,540 | $34.87 | |
20 | Holland Freight | $72,086 | $34.66 | |
21 | United Road | $71,305 | $34.28 | |
22 | Jack Cooper Transport | $70,328 | $33.81 | |
23 | Koch Trucking | $69,962 | $31.83 | |
24 | McLane Trucking | $69,779 | $33.64 | |
25 | Cassens Transport | $69,623 | $33.47 | |
26 | Old Dominion | $69,000 | $33.17 | |
27 | Dana Transport | $68,380 | $32.88 | |
28 | Experior Transport | $67,914 | $32.65 | |
29 | A.Duie Pyle | $67,727 | $32.56 | |
30 | Red Classic Transit | $67,340 | $32.38 | |
31 | Cardinal Logistics | $67,244 | $32.33 | |
32 | Nussbaum Transportation | $67,147 | $32.28 | |
33 | Cowan Systems | $66,644 | $32.04 | |
34 | Fed-Ex Freight | $66,462 | $31.95 | |
35 | Smith Transport | $66,265 | $33.32 | |
36 | Werner Trucking | $66,108 | $31.74 | |
37 | Crete Carrier Corp | $66,000 | $31.73 | |
38 | National Carriers | $65,596 | $31.53 | |
39 | JB Hunt | $65,512 | $31.50 | |
40 | RoadRunner Freight | $65,400 | $31.44 | |
41 | Road Scholar Transport | $65,393 | $31.44 | |
42 | Ruan Transportation | $65,183 | $31.32 | |
43 | XPO Logistics | $65,071 | $31.28 | |
44 | DART Transit | $64,739 | $31.12 | |
45 | Dayton Freight | $64,389 | $30.96 | |
46 | Black Horse Carriers | $64,272 | $30.90 | |
47 | Decker Truck Line | $63,124 | $30.35 | |
48 | USF Reddaway | $62,864 | $30.25 | |
49 | Averitt Express | $62,750 | $30.17 | |
50 | Action Resources | $62,737 | $30.16 | |
51 | Yellow Freight | $62,282 | $29.94 | |
52 | Transport America | $62,253 | $29.93 | |
53 | AAA Cooper Transportation | $61,252 | $29.45 | |
54 | System Transport | $61,503 | $29.57 | |
55 | NFI Industries | $61,491 | $29.56 | |
56 | P&S Transportation | $60,000 | $28.85 | |
57 | Roehl Transport | $59,652 | $28.68 | |
58 | Mesilla Valley Transportation | $59,399 | $28.56 | |
59 | N&M Transfer | $58,779 | $28.40 | |
60 | Watkins Shepard | $58,431 | $28.09 | |
61 | Acme Truck Line | $58,245 | $28.00 | |
62 | ACI Motor Freight | $58,023 | $27.94 | |
63 | UPS Freight | $57,866 | $27.82 | |
64 | Knight Transportation | $57,710 | $27.75 | |
65 | Bulkmatic | $57,276 | $27.58 | |
66 | Covenant Transport | $56,787 | $27.30 | |
67 | Magnum Trucking | $56,706 | $27.26 | |
68 | R&L Carriers | $56,704 | $27.26 | |
69 | Gardner Trucking | $56,305 | $27.07 | |
70 | Pitt Ohio | $56,000 | $26.98 | |
71 | TMC Trucking | $54,907 | $26.40 | |
72 | Kenan Advantage Group | $54,714 | $26.30 | |
73 | Heartland Express | $54,600 | $26.25 | |
74 | Stevens Transport | $54,362 | $26.14 | |
75 | Schneider National | $53,600 | $25.77 | |
76 | Navajo Express | $53,230 | $25.59 | |
77 | Central Freight Lines | $52,991 | $25.51 | |
78 | Ceva Logistics | $52,595 | $25.29 | |
79 | Con-Way Freight | $52,480 | $25.24 | |
80 | Southeastern Freight Lines | $52,472 | $25.23 | |
81 | McElroy Truck Lines | $52,409 | $25.20 | |
82 | CFI Trucking | $52,402 | $25.19 | |
83 | Rush Trucking | $51,740 | $24.88 | |
84 | Gazelle Transportation | $51,163 | $24.60 | |
85 | Melton Truck Lines | $51,000 | $24.52 | |
86 | Bennett Motor Express | $51,000 | $24.52 | |
87 | CRST Trucking | $49,985 | $24.03 | |
88 | Indian River Transport | $49,920 | $24.00 | |
89 | Andrus Transportation | $49,912 | $24.00 | |
90 | PAM Transport | $49,816 | $23.95 | |
91 | TransAm Trucking | $49,244 | $23.68 | |
92 | Ward Trucking | $49,200 | $23.65 | |
93 | KLLM Transport | $58,728 | $28.23 | |
94 | New Penn Motor Express | $48,440 | $23.12 | |
95 | Maverick Trucking | $47,687 | $22.93 | |
96 | May Trucking | $46,835 | $22.52 | |
97 | Ozark Motor Lines | $46,713 | $22.46 | |
98 | Prime Inc | $46,187 | $22.21 | |
99 | Panther Trucking | $46,083 | $22.16 | |
100 | Horizon Transport | $46,002 | $22.12 | |
101 | FFE Transportation | $45,892 | $22.06 | |
102 | Carter Express | $44,816 | $21.57 | |
103 | Pride Transport | $44,589 | $21.37 | |
104 | InterState Distributor | $43,663 | $20.99 | |
105 | CT Transport | $42,952 | $20.65 | |
106 | WTI Transport | $42,920 | $20.63 | |
107 | C.R. England | $42,695 | $20.53 | |
108 | USA Truck Inc | $42,377 | $20.37 | |
109 | Carolina Cargo | $41,600 | $20.00 | |
110 | Millis Transfer | $41,333 | $19.87 | |
111 | Cypress Truck Lines | $40,402 | $19.42 | |
112 | CH Robinson | $40,016 | $19.23 | |
113 | Falcon Transport | $39,878 | $19.17 | |
114 | Swift Transportation | $38,851 | $18.68 | |
115 | Southern Refrigerated Transport | $35,202 | $16.92 | |
116 | John Christner Trucking | $33,799 | $16.25 | |
117 | Star Transportation | $31,252 | $15.03 | |
Pay Ranking | Company | Annual Salary | Pay Per Hour |
Pay Per Hour
Often, truck drivers will negotiate their salaries around a rate that is based on mileage and not on hours. For an experienced independent truck driver, the rate per mile could be as high as 60 cents a mile. This means for an experienced independent truck driver traveling an average of 70 miles an hour on the interstate can make an average of 42 dollars an hour. If the haul, or trip, equals out to 800 miles then the driver will make $480. This of course does not include his or her rates for accommodations.
Experience and Reputation
The average driver pay is based on your specific driving experience and reputation.
A reputable truck driver is often going to get paid a higher rate because he or she is in high demand.
Until a driver builds a reputation as a professional and reliable CDL driver they will have to be satisfied with a lower pay rate. Just like many other job professions out there, the amount you earn will depend on a person’s ability to perform at or above the employer’s expectations.
Industry Specific Pay Data
Pay Per State
STATE | Hourly | Annual |
---|---|---|
North Dakota | 25.83 | 53,720.00 |
Alaska | 25.71 | 53,480.00 |
Massachusetts | 24.00 | 49,920.00 |
Nevada | 23.84 | 49,590.00 |
District of Columbia | 23.69 | 49,280.00 |
Wyoming | 23.66 | 49,210.00 |
New York | 23.26 | 48,390.00 |
New Jersey | 23.07 | 47,990.00 |
Connecticut | 22.80 | 47,420.00 |
Colorado | 22.76 | 47,340.00 |
Illinois | 22.58 | 46,970.00 |
Washington | 22.21 | 46,200.00 |
Maryland | 22.12 | 46,010.00 |
Indiana | 22.05 | 45,870.00 |
Rhode Island | 21.77 | 45,290.00 |
Pennsylvania | 21.76 | 45,270.00 |
Hawaii | 21.68 | 45,100.00 |
California | 21.59 | 44,900.00 |
Montana | 21.49 | 44,700.00 |
Minnesota | 21.40 | 44,500.00 |
Ohio | 21.21 | 44,110.00 |
Utah | 21.13 | 43,950.00 |
Oregon | 21.11 | 43,920.00 |
Kansas | 20.73 | 43,110.00 |
New Hampshire | 20.69 | 43,030.00 |
Wisconsin | 20.69 | 43,030.00 |
Michigan | 20.68 | 43,010.00 |
Vermont | 20.67 | 42,990.00 |
Texas | 20.59 | 42,830.00 |
New Mexico | 20.49 | 42,610.00 |
Nebraska | 20.48 | 42,590.00 |
Missouri | 20.41 | 42,460.00 |
Arizona | 20.34 | 42,310.00 |
Idaho | 20.32 | 42,260.00 |
Kentucky | 20.24 | 42,100.00 |
Oklahoma | 20.21 | 42,040.00 |
Tennessee | 20.04 | 41,680.00 |
Iowa | 20.01 | 41,620.00 |
Delaware | 19.93 | 41,460.00 |
Virginia | 19.87 | 41,330.00 |
North Carolina | 19.85 | 41,300.00 |
South Carolina | 19.76 | 41,110.00 |
Louisiana | 19.67 | 40,900.00 |
Georgia | 19.65 | 40,870.00 |
Mississippi | 19.44 | 40,440.00 |
Maine | 19.29 | 40,130.00 |
South Dakota | 19.27 | 40,090.00 |
Arkansas | 18.95 | 39,430.00 |
Florida | 18.91 | 39,330.00 |
Alabama | 18.77 | 39,050.00 |
West Virginia | 18.14 | 37,730.00 |
Virgin Islands | 16.58 | 34,490.00 |
Guam | 13.92 | 28,950.00 |
Puerto Rico | 9.36 | 19,460.00 |
STATE | Hourly | Annual |
