Semi Trailer Driver Wages

Semi-truck drivers, also known as heavy truck drivers or tractor-trailer drivers, transport goods over long distances in trucks with a capacity of at least 26,001.

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The Average Truck Driver s Salary. Drivers of tractor-trailer trucks and those with a gross vehicle weight GVW of 26,000 pounds or more earn about 8,000 more per.

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The Average Salary of a Semi Truck Driver

Tractor-trailer truck drivers surprising outnumber delivery truck drivers by a two-to-one ratio, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but both types of.

Basics

The nation s 1,508,620 semi-truckers averaged 19.15 per hour or 39,830 per year as of May 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bottom 10 percent earned under 11.96 per hour or 24,880 per year, while the top 10 percent made over 28.10 per hour or 58,440 per year. They drive from city to city or state to state while following all traffic laws, inspect their rigs before and after the trip, and load and unload cargo. They document their activities in a log, report to a dispatcher about any problems, and keep their trucks and trailers well maintained.

Employers

Over a third of semi-truckers in 2011 worked for general freight trucking companies where mean wages ran 19.83 per hour or 41,250 per year. About 14 percent were in specialized freight trucking with mean salaries of 18.87 per hour or 39,260 per year. The highest paying employers were couriers and express delivery services, with average salaries at 27.32 per hour or 56,830 per year. Next in pay were manufacturers of aerospace products and parts, where mean wages ran 27.09 per hour or 56,350 per year.

Related Reading: What Degree Is Needed for a Truck Driver.

Locations

The most populous states in the nation, Texas and California, offered the most jobs for semi-truckers, with 9 and 8 percent of the total positions, respectively. The former showed mean wages of 17.89 per hour or 37,220 per year, while the latter had a mean pay of 20.19 per hour or 41,990 per year. The city with the most jobs for the profession was Chicago, containing just over 2 percent of the positions at average wages of 23.08 per hour or 48,000 per year. Houston, Texas, was next for employment with just under 2 percent of the jobs at a mean pay of 18.15 per hour or 37,760 per year.

Outlook

The BLS predicts that jobs for heavy truck drivers will grow by 21 percent from 2010 to 2020. Contrast this with the 17 percent increases expected for all motor vehicle operators, and the 14 percent growth for all jobs in all occupations. A growing population and economy, which requires more goods, will fuel most of the demand because trucks move most of the freight in the United States. Because of the time spent away from home, companies have trouble finding semi-truckers. This makes positions easy to acquire for those just entering the profession.

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So very true why drop 50,000 on a newer truck when you can get a used one that does the same thing for around 15,000.-Jack.

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semi trailer driver wages

Known for taking on a considerable number of Tractor-Trailer Drivers, Ruan Transport Corporation, FedEx Freight, United Parcel Service UPS, Inc., Swift Transportation Corporation, and J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. are leading firms in the industry. Although YRC Worldwide Inc. leads the field in pay with a median salary of 61K, employees there receive a wide spread of salaries, from 41K on the low end all the way up to 79K at the top. Also paying near the top of the field are United Parcel Service UPS, Inc. at 58K, FedEx Freight at 55K, and Federal Express Corporation FedEx, where Tractor-Trailer Drivers annually earn 54K.

Lowe s Home Improvement Inc. doles out the lowest salaries in town median pay is 32K not to mention workers can only make as much as 42K and scope of pay is rather limited. Others at the bottom of the scale for this job include Schneider National Company at 34K, and C R England where 35K is the norm, but it is worth noting that some Tractor-Trailer Drivers there earn up to 53K.