How Much Does a USPS Truck Driver Make?
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the backbone of the mail industry in the United States. Truckers that want a secure route that allows them to stay close to home often opt for postal trucking routes. USPS truck driver pay isn’t as competitive as driving for larger trucking outfits, but you’ll be able to have job security and home time that’s hard to find in a typical CDL position.
Temporary and permanent drivers will cover 1.3 billion miles per year.
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USPS Truck Driver Salary
USPS drivers average $51,869 annually, according to information on 3rd-party payment aggregators.
The postal service is a logistics company at heart and delivers mail to every address in the US. Over 20,000 postal vehicles alone fuel USPS to help mail flow smoothly between processing plants and local post offices.
Professional drivers often run short haul trips of less than 100 miles. The short-range mileage ensures that you’re able to be home, have a family and not miss out on your social life in the process.
You can’t say the same for a lot of trucking companies that require drivers to be on the road for 7 days or more before going home. USPS is one of the few major trucking operations that allows you to still have a home life while staying on the road.
Daily home time is good for the entire family.
Post Office Truck Driver Jobs
If you’re interested in becoming a USPS tractor-trailer driver, there are vacancies all over the country that need to be filled. USPS hires nationwide.
USPS Truck Driver Requirements
- Valid CDL license where you live
- Safe driving record
- Two years of unsupervised experience or more
- One year experience driving trucks 7 tons or larger and/or 16 passenger vehicle
- 10-year information on driving commercially if it exists
- Pass drug screening
USPS will also contact past employers to be sure that there were no issues with drugs or alcohol in the last two years. You’ll be entering into a career position with impeccable benefits and job security.
The benefits that are offered to drivers are:
- Dental and health insurance equal to Congress
- Savings plan
- Free life insurance
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Paid vacation and sick leave
The only complaint about the benefits provided is that there’s no short-term disability offered.
You’ll find that reviews are mixed with people liking the ability to be home often and great benefits. One concern for truckers is that there’s not much overtime, so you won’t be able to bank on working overtime to make additional money.
Management is the biggest problem, with drivers stating that management doesn’t work together well, so you’ll often not know what the next day holds.
If you don’t mind the inner office issues that exist, you’ll find your USPS CDL driver salary to be a little lower than the national average, but you’ll enjoy more home time, benefits and a career opportunity.
Career opportunities offer benefits, but temporary workers will not receive benefits. This is standard in all trucking companies.
USPS Truck Driving Reviews from Drivers
Drivers have a lot to say about their time with USPS – good and bad.
While benefits are good, pay isn’t as high as drivers would like. The main reason pay is lower compared to competing companies is because there aren’t 12-hour days or lots of overtime that come with other positions.
A few downsides that extend beyond these complaints are:
- Drivers must work in all weather types
- Management can be poor
Benefits and home time are the two main perks that people mention when driving for USPS. There are advancement opportunities and salaries increase annually to help you offset the cost of living.
If you are ever out on the road for more than 40 hours a week, you’ll be paid 1.5 times in overtime. You’ll receive double your rate if you drive 56 hours or more. While you’ll be home daily and normally have a routine schedule, the holiday season can be hectic. If temporary workers are in short demand during the holiday rush, this is the one time of year where you’ll be able to pull in a lot of overtime.
Drivers that put in the extra work will find that working for USPS is fulfilling and one of the best trucking jobs available. You might not have the luxury of overtime or making the higher salary that you would working for another major trucking company, but you’ll have home time – something that is invaluable for most drivers.
Your USPS truck driver pay doesn’t require you to stay long hours at work, stay on the road day and night or miss out on life’s important events. You’ll be required to drive 5 to 6 days a week depending on the location, but you’ll always be able to sleep in your own bed at night.
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