Truck Driver Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

The median truck driver salary in the United States is $58,640 per year ($28.19/hour). Salaries range from $40,140 at the entry level to $79,380+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 2,062,040 truck driver jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 4% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asTruck DriverTruckerCDL DriverSemi-Truck DriverOTR Driver
Median Salary
$58,640
per year
Hourly Rate
$28.19
per hour
Employment
2,062,040
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$40,140
25th percentile
$47,960
Median
$58,640
75th percentile
$69,120
90th percentile
$79,380

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+4%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

237,600
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Postsecondary nondegree award

Training Needed

Short-term on-the-job training

Truck Driver Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for truck drivers.

Long-haul and regional truck drivers move ~72% of US freight by weight. The job has three main employer types with very different pay structures: OTR (over-the-road, 2-3 weeks out, highest per-mile), regional (home weekends, mid pay), and local (home nightly, lowest base but steady). Recruiters screen hard for clean driving record, CDL Class A endorsements, and DOT medical qualification. Compensation is per mile for OTR (0.55-0.75 cpm typical, top end 0.85+ cpm), hourly for local. Bonuses stack: safety, fuel efficiency, referral, and mileage tier bonuses can add $8-15k/year on top of base pay.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

CDL Class A + relevant endorsements
Baseline. Endorsements that pay more: Hazmat (H), Tanker (N), Doubles/Triples (T). Hazmat + Tanker (X) together adds $5-15k/year.
Clean MVR (Motor Vehicle Record)
Insurance companies dictate hiring. Even one at-fault accident or DUI in 3-5 years makes you uninsurable at most major carriers.
Log book / ELD discipline
Electronic Logging Devices track hours-of-service. Violations trigger DOT audits. Understanding the 11/14/70 rule (11 driving, 14 on-duty, 70 in 8 days) is table stakes.
Trip planning + navigation
Understanding weight restrictions, low bridges, truck routes, weigh stations, and fuel-optimal routing. GPS designed for cars will bury you under a bridge.
Backing + tight-space maneuvering
Blindside backing into tight docks. Employers separate the fleet on this β€” top backers get the easier accounts.
Pre-trip and post-trip inspection
DOT-mandated. Skipping this is how you get shut down at a weigh station or, worse, cause a wheel-off.
Customer service
You are the face of your carrier at every shipper and receiver. Rude drivers get carriers dropped from freight lanes.

How to Become a Truck Driver

  1. 1
    Get your CDL Class A
    3-8 weeks at a CDL school. Cost $3-7k out of pocket, or free through carrier-sponsored programs (Schneider, Prime, Roehl, Swift) in exchange for a 12-month contract.
  2. 2
    Pass DOT medical
    Physical exam every 2 years. Blood pressure, vision, hearing, sleep apnea screening. Certain conditions require a medical waiver.
  3. 3
    Start OTR at a training carrier
    First-year jobs are almost always over-the-road with a trainer for 4-12 weeks. Prime, Schneider, and CR England all take new CDL holders. Expect 45-55 cpm to start.
  4. 4
    Add endorsements year 1-2
    Hazmat + Tanker (X) doubles your available freight and adds $5-15k/year. Written test at DMV, TSA background check for hazmat.
  5. 5
    Move to a better carrier at 1 year
    The industry runs on year-of-experience thresholds. At 6 months many doors open, at 1 year most doors, at 2 years all doors. Don't stay at your training carrier past 12 months unless it's outstanding.
  6. 6
    Specialize or run your own truck
    Options: dedicated lanes (paying more per mile for consistent routes), oversize/overweight, tanker, or leasing/owning your rig (higher gross but massive expense risk).

Career Progression

Company Driver β€” Trainee/New
0-1 yrs$48k-$60k (per mile 0.42-0.52 cpm)
  • β€’OTR with trainer 4-12 weeks, then solo
  • β€’Runs given by dispatch, minimal route choice
  • β€’Weekly settlement statements; get used to per-mile pay swings
Next: Company Driver β€” Experienced after 1 year clean.
Company Driver β€” Experienced OTR
1-3 yrs$60k-$85k (per mile 0.55-0.68 cpm + bonuses)
  • β€’Solo runs, more route autonomy
  • β€’Mix of drop-and-hook and live loads
  • β€’Layover, detention, and stop pay in addition to per-mile
Next: Regional/dedicated for more home time, or specialize.
Regional / Dedicated / Specialty Driver
3-8 yrs$70k-$110k (top end with hazmat + tanker + dedicated)
  • β€’Home weekly or weekends
  • β€’Consistent lanes, same shippers, better rate per mile
  • β€’Some drivers pick up local switching duty at the yard
Next: Owner-operator, lead driver, or move to fleet management.
Owner-Operator / Lease-Purchase
5+ yrs$140k-$220k gross Β· $60k-$120k take-home after expenses
  • β€’Own or lease your truck; you are a small business
  • β€’Book your own freight (or lease onto a carrier)
  • β€’Absorb fuel, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation risk
Next: Small fleet owner (buy a second truck, hire a driver).
Fleet Manager / Trainer / Safety
8+ yrs$70k-$110k (office-based)
  • β€’Manage 30-80 drivers as dispatch or fleet manager
  • β€’Train new hires as certified trainer
  • β€’Investigate accidents as safety department

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 15 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Tell me about your driving record.behavioral
Be completely honest. Recruiters pull your MVR before offers, so anything omitted is a firing offense. Frame proactively: state your clean record over the last X years, mention any past incident, briefly explain what happened and what you learned. Example: 'Zero preventable accidents and no moving violations in the last 4 years. I did have a minor at-fault backing incident in 2020 at a shipper β€” I hit a low-hanging awning misjudging clearance. Since then I've always get out and look on any tight backing situation.' Interviewers screen for honesty + specific corrective action.
Q2. It's 2am, you're an hour from your next scheduled arrival, and you're getting drowsy. What do you do?situational
Stop. Full stop. Under Hours-of-Service, the safest action is always the correct one. If you have hours left, pull into the next safe truck stop or rest area and take a 30-minute break minimum. If you're at end-of-shift, call dispatch, log off, and take your 10-hour break. Never push through drowsiness β€” the accident cost dwarfs any late-delivery penalty. Interviewers screen for: safety-first mindset, willingness to communicate proactively with dispatch, and knowing HOS rules.
Q3. How do you handle a shipper who's making you wait 6+ hours to load?situational
First: check your detention pay policy β€” you're on the clock. Notify dispatch as soon as you know you'll be over your free window (usually 2 hours). Document everything: arrival time, dock number, in-and-out times. Ask the shipper politely for an updated ETL. If the wait is going to cost you your next appointment or push you out of hours, get dispatch to move the next stop. Stay professional even when frustrated β€” you're the face of your carrier and the shipper.
Q4. Why do you want to leave your current carrier?behavioral
Never bad-mouth your current employer. Recruiters expect a straight answer but not drama. Concrete positive framings: 'I've been running OTR for 3 years and I'm looking for regional work so I can be home more,' or 'My current carrier's freight has slowed and I'm looking at a company with more consistent miles,' or 'I've earned my hazmat and want to work with a carrier that runs a lot of hazmat lanes.' What NOT to say: 'my dispatcher is a jerk,' 'I hate the equipment,' 'they cheat on pay.'
Q5. Show me your pre-trip inspection.technical
This is often asked live in a road interview. Systematic head-to-tail walk: engine compartment (belts, hoses, oil, coolant, air filter, leaks), lights + reflectors, tires (pressure, tread depth, no cuts/bulges β€” thumping is not enough, gauge them), brakes (air lines connected, no leaks, slack adjusters in spec), fifth wheel (locked, jaw around kingpin), trailer (doors, seals, tarps, load secure), rear lights. Reference the DOT pre-trip form. Interviewers screen for thoroughness and specific knowledge β€” a driver who skips this on the interview will skip it in the field.

Resume Template β€” Company Driver β€” Entry Level (0-1 yr)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Company Driver β€” Entry Level (0-1 yr)
  • β–ΈCompleted CDL Class A training at [school]; graduated top 15% of cohort with zero-incident driving record through 4-week solo phase.
  • β–ΈDrove 88,000 miles in first 6 months at [carrier] with zero preventable incidents and zero HOS violations.
  • β–ΈMaintained 6.8 MPG fuel efficiency average, earning fuel bonus in 4 of 6 first months.
  • β–ΈEarned Hazmat + Tanker endorsements (X) within first 90 days on the job.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Gaps in employment without a real explanation β€” every recruiter asks about them.
  • βœ—Multiple job changes in short succession without upward pay/miles reason β€” signals inability to settle in.
  • βœ—Any preventable accident in the last 2 years for major carriers, 5 years for elite fleets.
  • βœ—DUI ever β€” most carriers won't touch you, and the ones that will pay bottom of market.
  • βœ—Not knowing your current HOS status or dispatcher's name in interview.
  • βœ—Lying about MVR β€” it's pulled before the offer. Immediate DQ.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Endorsements β€” hazmat + tanker (X) is worth 3-6 cpm at most carriers.
  • βœ“TWIC card (for port work) β€” worth 2-5 cpm at carriers running port lanes.
  • βœ“Sign-on bonus β€” $2-10k common for experienced drivers, paid over 6-12 months.
  • βœ“Rider policy β€” bringing spouse or pet on truck. Some carriers allow, some don't.
  • βœ“Per diem β€” separates pay into taxable (base) and non-taxable (per diem for meals). Increases take-home.
  • βœ“Home time guarantee β€” get it in writing. 'Home every weekend' means nothing if dispatch overrides it.
  • βœ“Guaranteed weekly miles floor β€” some carriers guarantee 2,500 miles/week; below that they make up the pay.

Truck Driver Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired truck drivers. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

  • βœ“ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
  • βœ“ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Truck Driver Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 15 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 5 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
  • βœ“ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
βœ“ 7-day money-back guarantee β€” no questions asked

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Truck Driver Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$49K
$70Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Alaska
$70K
+20%
Washington
$65K
+10%
District of Columbia
$64K
+9%
New Jersey
$64K
+8%
Massachusetts
$63K
+7%
Nevada
$62K
+6%
New York
$62K
+6%
Minnesota
$62K
+6%
Oregon
$62K
+6%
Colorado
$62K
+5%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Alaska$70,100+19.5%
Washington$64,760+10.4%
District of Columbia$64,170+9.4%
New Jersey$63,570+8.4%
Massachusetts$63,030+7.5%
Nevada$62,290+6.2%
New York$62,050+5.8%
Minnesota$61,990+5.7%
Oregon$61,980+5.7%
Colorado$61,500+4.9%
1–10 of 51

Truck Driver Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Lincoln, NE$81,790+39.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$76,560+30.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$71,240+21.5%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$70,730+20.6%
Morristown, TN$67,330+14.8%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$66,450+13.3%
Anchorage, AK$66,190+12.9%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$65,040+10.9%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$64,200+9.5%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$64,010+9.2%
1–10 of 396
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A truck driver earning $58,640/year would need 1016 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1091 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how truck driver salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Truck Driver salary trend (2011–2024) β†’