The Salary Scale For Truck Drivers

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

The 2018 Average Truck Driver Pay Guide Update

We're well into 2018, and freight demand is on the rise. Trucking is 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 unanswered: how much does truck driving pay in 2018?

There are a few variables that go into the "average" we use, but it comes from over 6.4 million salaries submitted from truckers online. 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.

Our new 2018 median pay is $66,711.

This comes out to drivers earning $1,282 per week. From the data set provided, we can also see that at the lowest point, salaries were $14,000 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, or they're owner-operators.

It can mean the difference between a happy driver and a delivery that is never completed.

Understanding the right path for a success career in trucking before you get started can help you get the salary and security you deserve.

The salary scale typically begins around $28,000 and can go as high as $68,000 for new drivers. Truck drivers who work for commercial trucking companies and distribution centers can expect to earn a fairly decent salary based on these figures.

However, if the driver is an independent contractor, the salary depends on a number of factors.

An independent truck driver is his or her own boss and therefore can negotiate the rates they will accept for the delivery of cargo. Clearly, this has a big impact on their average wage as an independent commercial truck driver.

Often, independent drivers will add travel accommodations to their rates as a part of their negotiations with their clients. This is especially true of independent drivers who travel distances further than 700 miles in a day to make a delivery. Fatigue is a danger to truck drivers and therefore the need to have a place to sleep comfortably overnight is very important when they take on a long haul.

Truck Driver Demands

A trucker's job is to get goods from point A to Point B, and this requires a driver to be able to properly maneuver their truck through a variety of circumstances:

• Highways
• Cities
• Mountains
• Rain
• Snow

You'll even have to learn how to brake the vehicle differently because big rigs are so heavy they demand much higher stopping power. Special licensing allows a trucker to enter into a vehicle and drive on the open road. And this requires:

• Training
• Schooling

You'll need your CDL license to get behind the wheel of a rig, and there are three main license types:

1. Class A: A Class A license allows a driver to haul a combined weight of 26,001 pounds or more. The driver can tow a vehicle that exceeds 10,000 pounds.
2. Class B: A Class B license allows a driver to haul up to 10,000 pounds when towing or drive a single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more.
3. Class C: A Class C license allows a driver to transport HAZMAT material, and this license can also mean the transport of at least 16 passengers (a bus, for example).

The right license for you depends on what your dream job will be. If you want to be a bus driver, there's no need to go above the Class C license. But, you may need to have a higher license for doing virtually any other form of hauling. When planning to enter the field, keep in mind that your driving record will have an impact on your career. If you have a history of recent major accidents, you'll want to research the company you plan to work with and then find out what requirements and restrictions they impose. A lot of companies will not take the risk of hiring someone that has a history of accidents in the last 3 or 5 years. A few tickets, especially for reckless driving, may also ruin your chances of becoming a truck driver right now. Most companies will forgive a person for their past incidents if enough time passes without an incident occurring. The Old Way of Getting Started In The Industry There's a new and old way of getting into the trucking industry. When you first think of getting into a truck as a career, you'll find that there is a rather simple path that seems the most logical to take (it's not).

1. School: You apply to go to trucking school with some big name company and pay a lot of money to do so.
2. Work: You take the first job that you come across and are willing to work your way up the ladder no matter how little the trucking company pays their employees.

Taking the first available job isn't a smart choice in an industry that has such high demand. But, there are also many schools that will require that you work with their trucking company after school. The benefit to this is that after a predefined period, many of these schools' tuition will be forgiven. So, you'll get into a truck for free, but you will often be tied to a low-paying company that has little room for growth.

Ownership of a truck can also make a difference in the salary amount that a truck driver earns. Often, truck drivers will use a truck that belongs to a distribution company. This can reduce the amount of money that a driver earns as the company will often withhold a portion of what they are being paid by the client to cover the cost of the maintenance of the truck.

As an independent owner, the driver can account for this difference by charging a little more and therefore keep the cost of truck maintenance from interfering with his overall profit. There are also tax advantages for owner operators, you can read more about trucking tax info here.

Many drivers enter into the profession of being a truck driver after seeing commercials on televisions promising salaries as high as $100,000 a year. It’s important to remember that this, although possible, is extremely rare.

In addition to being rare, the time it will take to become a truck driver who earns a salary as high as this is longer than a few months or even a few years. It may take more than a decade before a driver sees a salary close to $60,000 a year. Most truck drivers will retire before they begin to earn $100,000. This is not to say that a truck driver salary isn’t good. On the contrary, it is a decent and honest living.

Distribution or Shipping Company Advantages

The best way to become a truck driver who earns a six figure income before hitting retirement age is to not only own his or her own truck, but to also own a distribution or shipping company. A truck driver who has developed a respected reputation has a good probability of owning a successful shipping company and therefore making a $100,000 a year or more. By becoming a business owner and therefore evolving from an independent contractor, a truck driver can increase his or her chances of making a substantial truck driver salary.

Working as truck driver can provide a salary that a person can rely on to make a living. How much they'll earn depends on the abilities, reputation, and amount of experience that the driver gains.

Most importantly, when asking how much do truckers driver make, keep in mind that your salary is always negotiable...

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 also based on 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 truck driver they will have to be satisfied with a lower pay rate. Just like many other job professions out there, a truck driver salary will depend on a person’s ability to perform at or above the client’s expectations.

Image Courtesy Of BLS.gov

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