There has been a truck driver shortage going on in this country for years now. And believe it or not, it doesn’t appear as though this shortage is going to end anytime soon.
This truck driver shortage exists despite the fact that truck drivers tend to make pretty good money. The average truck driver salary is up over the $70,000 mark—and many truckers can make a lot more than that if they want to.
If you would like to bring in a truck driver’s salary like this, you should look into becoming a trucker sometime soon. You should also make sure that you’re aware of some of the factors that will have an impact on the money you’ll be able to make.
We’ve created a truck driver guide below that breaks down some of these factors. Check it out to see what you can expect to make as a truck driver.
Location
The average truck driver salary can vary from one location to the next. There is a greater need for truck drivers in certain parts of the country than others.
For example, if you live on one of the coasts, there is a good chance that you might be able to find truck driving gigs that pay more than the average truck driver salary. They’ll pay more because there are more companies on the coasts trying to entice truckers to work for them.
With this in mind, you might want to look for a location that is in desperate need of truck drivers right now. It could help you earn an even higher salary than you would otherwise.
Type
One thing that people don’t always realize is that there are many different types of truck drivers out there in the world. Some of them include:
- Dry van truckers
- Heavy haulers
- Long-haul truckers
- Tanker truckers
- Refrigerated freight haulers
The salaries for some of these types of truckers, like dry van truckers, might be on the lower end of the spectrum. This will be because their jobs will be slightly easier than the jobs that other truckers perform.
It would be worth giving some thought to which type of trucking you want to do it. It’ll help you look up the average truck driver salary for the specific type of trucking that you would prefer.
Distance
At the end of the day, distance is going to be one of the most important factors—if not the most important factor—as far as the average truck driver salary is concerned. The longer that truck drivers spend behind the wheel each year, the more money they’re going to make.
Some truck drivers are OK with making slightly less than other trucks in order to stay close to home while driving. Others don’t mind crisscrossing the country every month to make as much money as they possibly can.
You should think about how far you feel comfortable driving a truck. It’ll play a part in how much money you’re able to generate on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis.
Company
Every single trucking company takes a different approach to how they pay their truckers. Some inevitably pay more than others, and these are usually the companies that don’t have any trouble tracking down talented truck drivers.
Before you begin driving a truck day in and day out, you should look around at the different trucking companies that exist in your area. It’ll enable you to find at least one that offers solid salaries to its truckers.
Truck
As we alluded to earlier, the type of trucking that you do will affect the average truck driver salary. But the actual truck that you drive will impact it, too.
If you own a truck outright and can use it for hauling, you’ll be an extra attractive trucking candidate for many companies. They’re going to pay you top dollar in most cases to drive for them.
If, on the other hand, you have to lease a truck through a trucking company, it’s going to cut into your potential earnings. You’ll need to work towards paying off a truck before you can begin to bring in the big bucks.
You should decide from the start what approach you’re going to take to get your hands on a truck. It could play a continuous role in what your average truck driver salary will be.
Overtime
Many truckers are not allowed to earn overtime while driving their trucks as of right now. But a new bill is poised to change that.
If it does, overtime pay could change the average truck driver salary quite a bit. Truckers will be able to start making more money than ever before when they push themselves to drive more than they are now.
It’ll be worth keeping an eye on this bill to see how it affects the trucking industry as a whole.
Keep Tabs on What the Average Truck Driver Salary Is
The average truck driver salary is always changing. It goes up and down a little bit every year.
But generally speaking, the average truck driver salary is likely going to be on the rise in the coming years. The trucking industry continues to battle back against a trucker shortage, and that should end up working out well for all the truckers who are interested in making more money.
Interested in securing some more useful career-related advice? Find it by poking through the other articles that are found on our blog.