How Much Do Professional Truck Drivers Make?

If you are new to trucking, you must be interested in how much money truck drivers make. When you start getting into truck driver salaries, you may note that long-haul truckers are in severe demand due to the current supply chain crises and labor shortage. There is a large gap in the truck driver workforce. This means that the wages of truck drivers are likely to rise, and companies are willing to pay more for new drivers.

Median Salaries of Truck Drivers

There are different types of truck drivers, and each of them has different salary ranges.

For instance, truckers that fall into the Class A license are ones that drive bigger tractor-trailers. They carry better and more valuable freight.

Thus, Class-A long haul truck drivers make the highest median salary range of about $54,000. At this rate, they make more than many other essential professions such as firefighters, construction workers, farmers and bookkeepers.

Local Driver Median Salary

The Class A drivers, which include local drivers, in general, make a median salary of about $41,340. Local drivers are the ones that come back home every night. This allows them to spend less time away from home, however, they make much less money. These jobs are usually reserved for truckers that have years of experience.

Class B and C Drivers

Truckers that fall into this class make the least amount of money. They earn a median salary of about $30,580. They drive smaller vehicles such as box trucks, shuttle buses and dump trucks. Thus, if you want to know how much commercial truck drivers make, you need to find out which license class they fall into.

Long-Haul Trucking

Out of all the different types of truck drivers, long-haul truckers make the most amount of money. These truckers make plenty more after they complete their first year of driving. After their first year, they can make up to $65,000 to $75,000 a year.

Final Thoughts

The answer to the question of how much truck drivers make on average depends on how much time they are willing to put on the road. The more miles they cover, the more they make. Long-haul truckers and over-the-road truckers will usually drive long distances without coming home at night. Since they are willing to spend weeks on the road carrying valuable freight, they can make up to $70,000 a year.