If you’re considering a career as a truck driver, one of the biggest questions on your mind is probably “How much money do truck drivers make a year?” Show The short answer to that question is, “It depends.” While truck driving does provide a great opportunity to earn competitive pay and benefits, there are many factors that will influence how much you will make as a truck driver. To help answer your question of how much truck drivers make, we’ll break it down into three more questions:
How Do Truck Drivers Get Paid?According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income for truck drivers in 2014 was $39,520. The bottom 10% of truck drivers earned a median of $25,740, while the top 10% brought home a median of $61,150. It’s important to note, however, that truck drivers are typically not paid an annual salary or hourly wage, as with many other careers. Company drivers are paid on a cents per mile basis.
How Much Money Do Truck Drivers Make at Prime?At Prime, truck driver pay is above the industry average and depends on which type of driver you become and the type of truck you drive. Driver pay varies for company solo drivers, company team drivers and independent contractors. Driving divisions, which represent the type of truck you drive, include refrigerated (reefer), flatbed or tanker.
Company drivers can also boost their earnings through various incentives offered by Prime:
Another option is to pair up with a spouse, partner or friend and work together as team drivers. Prime team drivers earn a cents-per-mile split based on the type of truck driven:
In addition, team drivers can earn an additional 22 cents per mile for each mile over 3,000 per week. Things that Affect Company Driver IncomeDrivers who get paid by the mile only make money when the truck is moving forward. In other words, truck driver earnings don’t include the following things that take up your time on the road:
In addition, federal safety regulations limit your driving time to 11 hours per day, within a 14-hour driving window, with some exceptions. Once you launch your driving career, it’s important to plan routes in order to maximize the distance you’re able to travel safely within the legally prescribed driving limitations, and minimize the amount of time when the truck is not moving. Becoming Your Own Boss as an Independent ContractorThe greatest opportunity to maximize earnings as a truck driver is to become an independent contractor, also called an owner-operator. Independent contractors enjoy greater control over the routes they run, when they run and how much they bring home. Unlike company drivers, Prime independent contractors earn a share of the freight bill for the loads they haul, rather than a rate per mile.
Drivers with at least 6 months of driving experience will earn a guaranteed $1,000 per week for their first 3 weeks as an owner-operator. Prime also gives drivers the opportunity to lease a truck through Success Leasing. That gives the aspiring entrepreneur the freedom to start his or her own business with no money down and no credit check. Prime offers a choice of state-of-the-art trucks equipped with advanced technologies to boost safety, including sensor tracs and lane deviation warning systems. Do you have more questions about how much truck drivers get paid at Prime? Contact us online or call our Recruiting Hotline at 877-491-1112 to speak to one of our recruiters. We’ll answer your questions and give you helpful information about how to start your own driving career with Prime. How much do most truck drivers make a week?Average truck driver pay per mile is between 28 and 40 cents per mile. Most drivers complete between 2,000 and 3,000 miles per week. That translates into average weekly pay ranging from $560 to $1,200. If you drove all 52 weeks in a year at those rates, you would earn between $29,120 and $62,400.
Do truckers make a lot of money?The average for drivers with their careers in full swing is around $45,000 to $60,000 annually. Depending on the company and with a safe driving record spanning several years, a driver can potentially earn upward of $70,000 or more.
Who's the highest paid truck driver?1. Ice Road Truck Driver. When it comes to trucking jobs, ice road truckers earn the most on a pay-per-season or time-period basis. As the job title implies, ice road truck drivers are responsible for transporting loads over pure ice during the winter months.
How much can you make owning a 18 wheeler?Truckers who own their trucks are called owner-operators, and they typically take home between $2,000 and $5,000 per week. That amount could be enough to make anyone want to get their Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and get behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler.
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