The reason we work so hard as truck drivers is to drive home that serious scratch, the cheddar, the bones, you know…the dead presidents in our pockets—MONEY. But how much money can you actually make behind the wheel? The answer isn’t always simple. Truck driving salaries depend on where you’re working, how much experience you have, and which company you’re hauling for. A lot of us may recall advertisements showcasing the earning potential of $100,000 a year, but is this realistic for truck driving? We’ll explore that below.
What is the Average Annual Income for Truck Driving?
So, when all things are considered, the average salary for truck drivers is $50,830 (as of September 2019.) However, that doesn’t take into account drivers who might not work full-time or compare the differences between independent drivers and company drivers. Therefore, the scale can generally range as low as $21,000 annual income all the way to as high as $82,000, according to ZipRecruiter.com.
Hourly Truck Driver Wage
If you’re a seasoned driver, you have earning potential you can earn as much as 60 cents per mile, according to TruckDriverSalary.com. Negotiating rates that are based around mileage (cents-per-mile) instead of hours can be a smart career move for drivers. With that in mind, a truck driver that has an average speed of 70 MPH can bring about $42 an hour. Unfortunately, unless you have been driving for a long time and have a great driving reputation, there’s not a lot of room for negotiating pay. You pretty much have to earn a lower rate until you are able to be experienced enough to “call the shots.” Plus, earning by mile might not always pay if there’s certain days where traffic or road conditions are unfavorable. These are all normal factors that play into the pay rates of truck driving.
Average Salary of Trucking Types of Jobs
- Class A: $49,000
- CDL Driver: $46,000
- Truck Driver Run OTR: $62,000
- OTR CDL Truck Driver: $57,500
- Dump Truck Driver: $39,000
- CDL Truck Driver: $51,500
- Tank Truck Driver: $59,500
- Bulk Truck Driver: $52,000
- Semi-Truck Driver: $49,000
- Tow Truck Driver: $35,000
- Commercial Truck Driver: $50,000
- Route Truck Driver: $37,500
How to Bring Home 6 Figures as a Truck Driver
So, you’ve entered trucking with the intention of earning as much as $100,000 each year. How do you do it? Well, typically, earning that much in the profession is pretty uncommon. In fact, it can take 10 years of experience to start earning about $60k annually. However, it’s likely that drivers retire before they are able to reach that sought-after 6 figure salary.
Someone once told me that there’s two ways to earn a lot of money. First, you can do a job that no one else WANTS to do. Second, you can do a job that no one else CAN do. So, in the realm of truck driving, here’s a couple of CRAZY ways you can earn over $100k annually:
- Ice Road Trucking: Most of us have seen or at least heard of the TV show Ice Road Truckers. If you haven’t, it’s a show that profiles drivers that are brave and skilled enough to drive the extremely hazardous routes north of the Arctic Circle. Reportedly, a 3-month season can potentially have someone earning more than $120,000 a year.
- Truck Driving in Iraq: If you didn’t mind risking possible kidnappings or terrorist attacks, driving trucks through this country to deliver food and supplies could bring home crazy amounts of money.
But, if you’re not willing to put your butt on the line to earn that cash, how does a truck driver expect to bring home anywhere between $100,000 and $150,000? Owner-operators bring home about this much. However, the costs of maintaining that rig can be so high that after everything gets put into account for that—-you pretty much can cut that earning potential in half.
Where Does This Leave You?
So, what’s the takeaway? Well, although it’s not just a fairytale that there are actually some drivers who can pull in a 6-figure salary, it’s probably not the most common occurrence. However, that doesn’t mean that truck driving isn’t an honest job with pretty good pay. When considering that there aren’t many options for people without college degrees that pay like trucking, it’s still a decent livelihood. The easiest way to move up financially? Put in your time. It pays to be experienced.
Learn more about earning an amazing salary doing truck driving by watching our Big Rig Banter podcast!
June 8, 2015
Drivers in warzones are typically not taxed on their income. So that 100k is more like $140k plus you have very little expenses living in the warzones. Hauling Hazardous waste in the U.S. can offer $85 to 110k jobs. But there’s a lot of training involved.
May 22, 2016
How would one apply for the job to truck drive in war zones
January 27, 2017
What type of training??
October 22, 2017
I’ve been driving for 33 years and have made over 100,000 for the past 12 years its not hard but you need to work for a private fleet ie Air Liquide, Praix Air, Air Products, Dow Chemical, there are several private fleets looking for drivers and they pay well. I am working for a chemical company now we only have 7 drivers but pay $32 per hour 60 to 70 hours a week. not much off time but great pay
January 21, 2018
How and where do you apply?
February 6, 2018
What company
May 6, 2016
This confuses me my uncle drives and earns 15,000 a month for he does all year and we’ll that’s well above 140k
August 7, 2016
That confusses me, what does he do for that kind of money? I drove more than 24 years never made near that kind of money. Is he hauling extreme heavy or something like that?
April 9, 2017
what does he carry what company give us some detail
June 11, 2017
If you have drove for 24 years and don’t make 100k u are not a good driver. It’s not hard ups,walmart, siai or any ltl for that matter learn the job or even specialized freight
May 17, 2019
Myreoncarter88@agmail. Com
March 16, 2019
really,, what type of truck he drives and in which company
June 11, 2016
I drove for two years before landing a job with a big box retailer. I’ve made 100k the last 5 years. Keep your record clean, those jobs are out there.
April 23, 2017
Can you give me more information on your job?
January 20, 2018
I may look into it. Which retailers or chain do you recommend?
December 21, 2019
My record is clean as a whistle and hungry to make some real cash. How can I get started.?
December 23, 2019
Get your CDL! https://www.alltruckjobs.com/truck-driving-schools
February 9, 2017
@MARK 15,000 per Month ? What Exactly Does Your Uncle Do
February 2, 2018
Drives for the Escobar drug cartel.
February 7, 2020
He’s probably a owner operator to make $15K a month
April 26, 2017
My husband started leasing from xpo logistic when he first started out which brought home 65,000 a year . Then when he owned his truck we put everything in storage . So we had no rent to pay , no car payment , no other bills besides our phone , and taking care of the truck . We haul in the southern states and now bring home 145 a year .
May 13, 2017
How much where u guys paying for truck note insurance I’m much is the truck in all for lease an how Mony years did it take to pay off the truck
June 20, 2017
I hope to meet a serious trucker ready for a serious relationship
Am sandy
5514446864
July 30, 2017
what u look like
August 9, 2017
Sandy- gold digging huh? Lol
June 3, 2018
HaHa I guess, Digging in the sandy beaches didn’t work out. Next step OTR long haul trucker checks. 😂😆🤗😎🙏
October 21, 2017
Depending on the freight company you can make good money working as a dock worker. I make $22/hr and put in about 43 hours a week. My pay hovers between $900-$950 a week.
November 1, 2017
$22 an hour is sh!t pay. May have been good in 1985, but its 2017…going into 2018. 52 weeks in a year $900-950 isnt even 50k dummy. The topic is 6 figures..100k or above. Not humping labor 85-90 hrs a week to make 100k.
December 16, 2017
Haha ? haha ? haha ?
November 3, 2017
Yes, of course, the salary of truck drivers depends on where they are working, how much experience they have, and which company they are hauling for. There are few portals like yourmilesapp.com where you can earn up to $40- $50 per hour by driving a truck.
March 31, 2018
Ltl is where good money is made in trucking.you need to stick with it to be able to have a good paying run miles is what makes money. I have made six figure for 9years been with same company for 28 years
June 16, 2018
I’ve been a truck driver for 8 month and make $10k per month
June 18, 2018
Which company are you with ?
June 29, 2018
They are not paying enough. Owner operators were making 100k over 30 years ago. Looks to me that the industry micromanaged the truckers to the point that the job simply does not attract at the offered compensation. I would drive a truck and be very dedicated as I am about everything i commit to. However, I require 200k take home for that job, no exceptions. I think this is more folly anyway. This older blog seems to indicate I am right. https://www.indeed.com/forum/job/truck-driver/have-cdl-license-class-but-no-experience/t316252
July 22, 2018
I got hired by an LTL company as a team driver right out of school, my first year i made $94,000. I was at the bottom pay scale and made 94k. LTL is the way to go to make good money.
August 15, 2019
Why doesn’t anyone that says they make all this money have a flat answer when asked where or what and so on come on people are we still in high school stop bragging in the dark and be helpful or shut up some of us are just looking for a way to to take care of a family
November 1, 2019
Please, name the company and how much you make..gross, then net.
Vague generalities does no good for anyone.
November 21, 2019
This info is out of date. I work at old dominion freight. As a line driver I’m home daily. And make about 120k a yr
November 21, 2019
Well that’s awesome! How long have you been a truck driver?
February 27, 2020
Meyer logistics: first year.. gross 3700 every two weeks. Net 2800.
November 26, 2019
I work for Fed Ex Freight. I drive a set route that is 520 miles round trip. I’m home in my bed every night and I bring home 100K a year.
December 1, 2019
Plenty of trucking jobs that pay 100k plus in North Dakota if you are willing to deal with the harsh winters and the hazards.