This is one of the most frequently asked questions given by potential drivers who are interested in the trucking industry. Even truck drivers with years of experience always watch for how much a truck driver gets paid per state on average. Perhaps they would consider changing the trucking company they work for based on the salary in another state? Who knows! However, while criticizing average salaries, it is important to know all about this career. So, why not dive into the details about truck driving jobs, including average salaries per state.
The Benefits of Being a Truck Driver
Insurance
Usually, entry-level specialists rarely get insurance package opportunities in many industries. However, truck drivers get the full package before starting trucking industry jobs. It is a significant incentive for the employee to pursue a particular career path, and truck driving is worth considering.
Travel
This part is a blast! Being a truck driver provides you with the opportunity to travel the whole country. Every ride takes you to another location. Most of the time you are free to enjoy the sights and explore the country during a usual working routine.
Freedom
Many people struggle with an ordinary office job. Reasons vary, but the primary one is physically being at the office 40 hours a week. In the case of truckers, they never stay in one place as they constantly travel. This decreases anxiety from work and increases work satisfaction.
Training
Most career paths require at least 3 months of training before working at the company; however, this doesn’t apply when becoming a truck driver. All those interested in becoming a trucker only need truck driving skills. Even if one doesn’t have those, truck driving schools prepare truck driver professionals in a short while, which is definitely less than the 3 month training period.
Salary
Here we are – salary! The job of a trucker provides competitive pay. Statistics show that not a single professional ever complained about the truck driver salary because, for every professional in the field, a trucker’s pay is an incentive to work. Later on, we will talk about truck driver salaries with numbers.
5 Factors Influencing Truck Driver Salary
- Trucking Niche
- Car hauling, heavy haul, flatbed, ice road trucking, temperature-controlled freight, general freight, oversized loading, and liquid hauling.
- Trucking Company
- The pay differs from company to company.
- Trucking Type
- LTL freight, team driving, short-haul, local, regional, OTR.
- Truck Driver Experience
- Experience decides the pay in every industry.
- Your Living Location
- The pay is different in each state.
How Trucker Earnings are Calculated
Of course, the factors mentioned above influence the average truck driver salary; however, there are two common ways to calculate how much a trucker earns in a particular trucking business.
Mileage Rate
This is the primary method of calculating truckers’ pay. The trucking company sets this rate when an agreement between the company and the trucker is made. But companies should be careful with this method because many people complain about the rate depending on the software type companies use to calculate the mileage rate. Some companies may choose software that offers a rate for Practical Miles. Others may choose ones that calculate the rate for Shortest Miles. Companies love this because it saves them money but is definitely not beneficial for drivers. Other trucking companies prefer software calculating for literally every mile driven. This one is called Hub Miles.
In the case of paying by Mileage Rate, trucking companies also consider extras. These include:
- Pickups and Drops
- Waiting Time Pay
- New York/New Jersey Mileage Rate
- Layover Pay
- Hiring Bonus Pay
- Border Crossings
- Safety Bonus
- Fuel Saving Bonus
Hourly Pay
This is the favorite method of truck drivers. Why? Because it ensures that the trucker’s pay is consistent regardless of circumstances, i.e., the weather. Also, this method provides truckers the opportunity to drive safely. Hours of Service rules work a great deal in this as the driver is confident that even not hurrying to get to the endpoint, the pay will be suitable without shortages. Other than that, Hourly Pay is easy to track.
Average Truck Driver Annual Salary in the US Top 10 States
- Alaska: $59,700
- California: $45,600
- District of Columbia: $55,400
- Florida: $41,200
- Massachusetts: $50,600
- Nevada: $50,500
- New York: $48,500
- North Dakota: $54,600
- Pennsylvania: $46,200
- Washington: $47,000
- Wyoming: $55,000
Tips for Finding the Best Paying Trucking Company
You may ask experienced drivers to share their opinion regarding the best paying trucking companies. Other than that, just search the web! Forums like Quora may help you find the answer to your question. Only pay attention to a few criteria:
- It is preferred for the company to have benefit packages.
- The trucking company should have a company culture focused on employee appreciation.
- It is preferable to work with companies that don’t pay percentage deals – Mileage Rate or Hourly Rate is a win-win.
- These days, try to find a company that also emphasizes environmental sustainability
- View the trucking industry outlook 2022 to make the best choice among trucking companies.
Other than that, blogs like this may guide you to the best trucking company to work for, like AJR Trucking. It has all the criteria mentioned above and provides cost control, dispatch operations, and quality in employment and fleet. As a sustainable trucking company, its operations are equal to planting 149,778 trees, eliminating 2,097 metric tons of GHG emissions, and removing 1,235 cars off the road – these numbers grow daily!
In addition, AJR Trucking emphasizes driver needs to sustain effective job performance alongside a friendly work environment. Winning the Eagle Spirit Award three consecutive times says a lot about how much AJR values its employees. One of the truck drivers of AJR Trucking, Jeffrey O., mentions, “Great company to be part of! Benefits, pay & equipment are great. AJR Trucking being contracted with USPS has given me the comfort of knowing I’ll always have work to provide for my family.”
Recruitment is open – feel free to apply for truck driver jobs at the best trucking company!
