Earnings

and Employment

According to a 2017 Truck Driver shortage report published by the American Trucking Association (ATA), the trucking
industry expects to hire about 90,000 new drivers every year annually.¹The 2016-2017 Occupational Outlook
Handbook, published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts continued growth in transportation and warehousing
employment, adding approximately 898,000 jobs between 2016 and 2026. There has been approximately
6.7% growth over the last few years, with a continuous shortage of driver availability.²

Women and minorities may have even greater opportunities.²
Improvements in equipment have greatly reduced the need for drivers to be “big and strong” to operate a tractor-trailer.

TYPICAL ANNUAL EARNINGS ³
Over-the-road drivers (beginning) $40,000 +
Over-the-road drivers (with experience) $45,000 +
Local drivers (beginning) $40,000 +
Local drivers (with experience) $50,000 +

Wage scales differ from region to region and also depend on the kind of freight carried. Annual earnings in the $40,000 to $45,000 range aren’t unusual for over-the-road drivers. Some experienced, specialized drivers make $60,000 a year or more.
Local drivers are generally paid by the hour. Long haul drivers are generally paid by the mile.
Owner Operators who own their own trucks and lease out their services have the potential to make a very good living. Some who are business minded have built small successful companies and greatly increased their income.

TYPES OF TRUCK DRIVERS
Local: Operate light to heavy trucks. They may be in pick-up and delivery operations, route-sales, or both. They have more contact with customers than long haul drivers and usually make many stops or deliveries a day.
Long Haul: Operate heavy trucks and may be gone from 1 to 3 weeks at a time traveling to many different states or locations with no set schedule.
Line Haul: Operate heavy trucks on what is called a “dedicated run.” They operate their equipment from determined points, often on the same run all the time.
Owner Operators: Operate equipment they own. Often, owner operators will only own the tractor and they will pull a trucking companies trailer. Sometimes they will own the tractor and trailer and will lease the entire rig to haul freight for a particular company, or broker.
Class B Drivers: Operate smaller trucks usually on local runs. Class B drivers generally do not make as much money as Class A drivers.