FAQ: Truck Driver's Pay & Salary Types

How much money do truck drivers make?

Generally, first-year truck drivers can expect to make around $42,000, and after 3-5 years OTR driver's salary pretty much tops out at $55 - 65k for top performers.

What kinds of trucking jobs pay the best?

Very specialized jobs like car-hauling, logging, event tour drivers, or cattle-hauling can be especially lucrative. Flatbed drivers, as well as linehaul or LTL drivers, do especially well, though there may be more physical effort required in these types of jobs.

What is the most I can make as a truck driver?

Most normal truck driving jobs will top out at $65,000 or so, while specialized gigs like driving for NASCAR or touring music artists could top $100k, reportedly.

How are truck drivers paid?

Most over-the-road drivers are paid cents-per-mile. Some companies do offer percentage pay. There are many additional incentives offered in many jobs, like extra stop pay, tarping pay, layover, etc.

How important is starting truck driver pay?

To some people, it's very important. Keep in mind that there are always trade-offs with companies that offer particularly high or low starting salaries to new drivers. Know what you are looking for in a company before making starting salary your main criteria. Things like benefits and perks, home time and route offerings, pet policies, etc., are all part of the decision making process.

Will I be paid during CDL training and company training?

Most companies will not start paying you until you have your CDL and/or start the on-the-road company training phase, though every company has a different timetable for this. Some companies, like Roehl, will get you in the truck as soon as possible, and pay you as an employee from day 1.

How does team pay work?

In normal team driving scenarios, the truck is paid per mile for the total number of miles driven, and the two drivers split it.