Here's my article on the highest salaries and most jobs for tractor-trailer truck drivers, based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor. Comments appreciated,

Road Warriors: The Highest Paid Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truckers in the USA

 

A breakdown by company would've been very telling, although I dare say that I feel somewhat better about my pay after seeing this. I also tend to disagree highly with the hourly rates.
Your figures show hourly rates based on a 40-hour work week. Our hours-of-service rules allow us to work 70 hours per week, and most DO work that, or at least close to it. That $21.35/hr. that you posted would really translated to $12.20/hr. for most over-the-road drivers. I also wonder how it breaks down by operating range (OTR vs. regional vs. local). I also suspect that this is ignoring the many owner-operators out there as well.

 

I agree with the breakdown by company. Unfortunately, that's probably a bit too specific for the Labor Department data. And all figures are just averages. Individual experiences will differ, of course, especially when you take overtime and other variables into account.

Thanks though, for reading the article and taking time to point out some of its limitations, especially by sharing your personal experiences. Hopefully others can chime in with their figures as well to present a more accurate picture.

 

Research... 99.9% of OTR drivers are not paid overtime. We are normally paid either a cents-per-mile rate (calculated 10-25% fewer miles than actual on average) or a percentage of what the load pays the company. There are very few hourly otr drivers.

 

Thank you for the information, Malaki86. I'm guessing that's one of the reasons why the Labor Department shows only mean salaries.

 

Not sure why anyone would want to get in to the trucking industry with very low pay, cheating companies, con artists, crappy equipment, rules , rules and more rules and regulation that could potentially kick you out of your career in one traffic or dot stop. Why would any normal person spend 5 grand tuition to learn driving a cmv only to get kicked out for dot violations or speeding ticket? This industry has gone to hell in a hand basket and I see no reason for anyone wanting to make minimum wage driving a truck. When you figure out the amount of hours driving, sitting in the tuck at truck stops, waiting all day for loads, waiting for fuel, showers, meals, flat tires, repairs, cold weather, adverse conditions and the list goes on and on, you are making 7 dollars per hours below minimum wage.

When will this industry pay us a fare share for our work? Companies all want clean driving records, no pints, clean back round, no csa points, clean dac reports, but are they willing to pay a premium for that? No......you have to ask your self WHY? Why cant I get top dollar for having the clean record required to get a job? Something needs to change in this industry and we all have to stick together for it to work. Organized trucking again? Can anyone say that UNIONS would be a bad thing right now in this industry? Just sayen!

 

Most carriers do take care of their equipment. Only a small percentage may skimp on maintenance. Most will rely on drivers to check their equipment and if the driver fails to do his job, then the truck won't be repaired. You can't blame the carrier for any csa or mvr points. The blame rests squarely on the driver. If you have points on either, it is your actions as a driver that gave them to you. Points are earned, not given.

As far as being paid a "fair share," I would argue that drivers are paid a fair share of the rate. All companies allow a certain percentage of revenue for labor. A fair share can also have much to do with the driver's performance and longevity with the company. One reason some drivers don't seem to earn more money is that they move around every few months. There is no need for carriers to pay drivers the highest rate when they will need to find another driver in a few months. It is expensive to recruit new drivers. Those who stick with the same carrier for several years do receive higher compensation than those who move around. However, if you want a fair share of any profits then you need to buy your own truck and start your own company. Unless you invest your own money then you don't deserve a fair share of the profits. Sharing in profits is reserved for the investors. Unions are not needed in this industry. Those carriers that do have union representation have had to take pay cuts in order to keep their jobs. What we need are better rates and drivers who are honest and will take care of their equipment. As a company driver you need to hone your skills and stick with your company if you want the higher pay. Unions only protect the lazy and inefficient. The hard working driver who is concientious of his equipment will always rise to the top. The top performers never have a problem finding the better paying jobs.

One way drivers can increase their value and pay is to get into a niche part of the industry. For instance, if you pull a van you could get into flats, steps, oversize, heavy haul or carhauling. It takes more skill to do these jobs than someone who only pulls around a box. But, you will get dirty and be outside in all types of weather. Some company drivers in these segments can earn $70,000 to $120,000/year or more and without being in a union.

 

Alocsin, your post was "drivel" in my opinion.

Very few drivers are paid by the hour and virtually none work 40 hours per week. All your writing did was attempt to convince unemployed/under employed people that trucking will make them rich when in fact it won't!

You sure you're not a recruiter for a bottom feeding carrier like CRE, Prime, Werner...