What Should A Truck Driver Expect To Make First Year. And Then From There On

Ok I have been doing alot of web searching and have received no clear answers as to the truth. Now I know the answers will vary from person to person and I'm sure that there is no clear answer. But on Average what can a OTR driver expect to make first year, and then from there out. Thanks for all your answers.

Philip..There are a LOT of variable factors involved in this and to give you a clear answer would be impossible..BUT..as a rookie OTR driver, you Should be able to make about 30-35,000 your first year..but again..that's just a rough estimate..after that both your mileage pay and your experience should both go up, so you will learn how to be more efficient, make better use of your hours, drive longer and get more loads as your stock goes up with your DM..all of those things combined will help to drive your pay..I think most top end company drivers can make in the ballpark of $50K a year once they really get experience..

If you want a pretty average answer, you will make in the area of $30,000.00 But it will be different from company to company, and whether you re regional , dedicated, reefer , van, flatbed, tanker, doubles , triples...So you see theres no way to really give a solid answer

I think what the original poster is looking for is how much he can save the first year or have left over for his expenses.

Im no expert and some guys like Brett will chime in but...

1)how much you make or earn gross is a lot different than what you earn or make net. Gross (without deductions) if you are making lets say $3000/month but spending $3500 month you are digging yourself into a whole everyday

2)some companies will tease you and advertise 'well you will make $100000 after 1 year'- yeah you will gross $100000, but if your expenses as a lease owner op are more, you are losing money every month

3)as the other guys said, about $30000 is a good estimate for 1st year earnings as a company driver. How much of that you keep and send to your family is another question- and it depends on the individual.

$30,000 the first year BUT what you have to remember that is gross.Before taxes. Not net. Very big difference.

I can tell you at CRST, our starting pay is low. We start at 22 cents a mile, and that goes to 23 at 3 months. But at6 months, we start getting 31 cents a mile. Now then my co driver and I both went to a CRST sponsored school and got our CDLs for free. For that, we signed an 8 month contract. As of today I have 3 months, 1 week and 1 day left on that contract. We run about 5000 plus miles a week on average. In 1 week and 1 day, every load I get will pay me 8 cents a mile more. The miles are split. CRST requires that we get our HAZMAT endorsement, and drivers with that run about 700 more miles a week on average than drivers who do not have it. Bottom line is I will make about 30 grand in my year with CRST, get my school paid for and have some great driving experience. After that doors will open up and I can make probably more than 40 grand. After about 3 years I hope to make more than 50, which is what I used to make in my old life, before the depression in 2007.

Alright, Thanks guys for all the feedback. I'm starting with Prime and will be getting 36 cents a mile after the first 40000. Before that I will be making 12 cents a mile or 600 a week which ever is greater. I will also be signing up for a year with Prime and waiting for 75 hours of driving before I get into the B seat. If I do get the 5000 miles a week thats great. But I'm not sure what to expect from Prime.

Here's what you should expect from Prime: A vigorous, lengthy, thorough training period with little to no pay right at the beginning, and then you'll start getting the 600.00 a week pay that you mentioned (which by the way is very generous compared to other training pay from some other trucking companies), and then when you go solo if you're cutting the mustard the way they like it you're gonna be busy! Not only will they give you plenty of miles, but they're gonna pay you more than almost anybody I know of does with their new recruits.

So, get ready to work hard and put in some long hours. You're going to be earning some nice pay checks, but you might not have the time to enjoy them. Personally, I think you made a great choice, if you can keep your end of the bargain they will treat you right with the miles and the money.

Hang in there, it's tough at first, but it only gets easier and better the longer you keep at it.

We'll be right here pulling for you, so if you have issues or questions let us know.

I go home every month for 4 days. But when I am on the road I run very hard. But I could be making a lot more by doing more than just 4 weeks.

I went solo January 15th and to this date I made 15,500$ . So I'll probably make about 32k. Just wanted to share.