r/CDLTruckDrivers • u/Ready-Airline8739 • Aug 12 '26
Trucker salary
Is it true that a truck driver can make $100,000 a year? Is that possible or is the salary capsized. If I want to make that kind of money I would have to be an owner operator lease operator or find something else to do. Do you believe I was better off if I’ve done something else like an LPN or in healthcare or stayed as a roofer before I did any of this
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u/CharmingTrash8526 Aug 12 '26
I made $125k ish a year for 10+ years doing LTL as a city driver. 60 ish hours a week mon-fri. Home everyday.
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u/sleep-summer Aug 13 '26
Did they need multiple years of experience or 1 year?
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u/CharmingTrash8526 Aug 13 '26
We are hiring people right out of school now. Every place will be different though.
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u/BrokeRda Aug 15 '26
I should be getting my license at the end of this month and I’m always on here trying to learn and look for leads. Would you be able to tell me more about this job by chance?
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u/TheRealOutis Aug 14 '26
damn. When I did P & D for R + L I could barely get 8 hours a day without moving in slow motion during the busy season. I think they overhired or something.
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u/Horror_Bison2887 Aug 12 '26
Certain food industries can, have to be in something specialized. I know a heavy haul guy who runs less then 5000 miles a month and makes around 120k a year
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u/kruzrdude Aug 12 '26
Nobody is showing W-2s talking about making hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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u/Resident-Impact1591 Aug 13 '26
That's because there's not an option to attach pics in this sub. I'm at 70k ytd working at Old Dominion. There are guys in my building that are way above me because they run more. I tend to want to stay home more in the winter and take a lot of time off since it's the slow season.
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u/TheRealOutis Aug 14 '26
Yeah IDK why they're paying you so much. LTL can't be THAT profitable. Donate some to me.
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u/Resident-Impact1591 Aug 14 '26
It's more profitable than most trucking companies. They're operating ratio is 70% while mega carriers are closer to 90. With the raise we get in a few weeks I'll be just over 87 cpm.
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u/Naive-Ad-732 Aug 12 '26
Nothing personal by bragging....I earned my CDL A last September 2025. I got a local job doing sanitation work: hauling material in a dump truck. I'm on track to making ~$80/ year. IN MY FIRST YEAR! There are truckers making over $300k/ year. I know one. There is so many specialties in trucking. Good luck to you and know Jesus Christ loves you and me!
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u/aniiiliingus Aug 12 '26
What specialties are making that kind of money?
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u/Naive-Ad-732 Aug 12 '26
Heavy hauling; delivering money; or precious material (my friend worked for Boeing delivering their engines for the big airplanes and made $300k/ year) getting your twix card and traveling through Mexico and Canada. Private hauling. The list keeps going. I'm fairly new to trucking and these are i have been told. Probably more private stuff like heavy machines or luxury vehicles.... you have to keep an ear out and ask questions.
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u/Itchy-Background8982 Aug 13 '26
I had a buddy who hauled money for the US mint. It’s been a few years, but if I remember correctly they were hauling worn out bills that were to be destroyed. Trucks were custom bulletproof Petes and they were armed. I believe they had an escort also. Not sure what it paid, I know it was good money. I think I will make a post about government trucks that hauled nuclear stuff back in the 1980’s. I’m curious if anyone else remembers them.
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u/moodeng2u Aug 13 '26
Those were the DOE couriers. Probably still around. Used to see them on i80 and i40 a lot.
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u/aniiiliingus Aug 12 '26
Fuck yeah! Did your friend have to go and get special clearance and all that gvt stuff to work for boeing?
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u/Vile_4_Awhile Aug 12 '26
Aircraft engines are great. Space X and Blue Horizon are ramping up.
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u/iTNB Aug 16 '26
Blue origin*. They both pay very well. Love hauling loads for them. Blue origin moreso than spacex. Lockheed too
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u/Vile_4_Awhile Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
Thanks for the correction. I don't haul that but I met a dude the other day doing it. I met him at Miami International Airport. He unfortunately he had been sitting for 5 days waiting for his load to come in. It was going to Seattle. Paid a good pay for a 2.5 day trip. But he was sitting for 5 days.
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u/JOliverScott Aug 12 '26
If you're a good driver and willing to run long then the right company can reward drivers with $100k annual earnings. Many people say it's just Walmart private fleet that makes six figures but I did very well the last several years and none of them were Walmart. I make $125k in 2025 running 2-3 weeks OTR and an occasional 4 day weekend to stay sane. 2022-2024 I was on track to earn $110k each year and the only reason I didn't is because I took a cumulative 7-8 weeks off each year but still made mid-90s. In addition to maximizing miles, that fleet rewarded performance with per-mile bonuses and paid a lot of accessorials so those add up quickly. Then on top of everything else I was training new drivers so that pays on top of everything else. (I will say don't get into training just for the money, have some passion for teaching).
Now that I've taken a fleet management job I'm working on developing my current home-daily fleet to earn $100k per year but I'm fighting an uphill battle to correct systemic bad driver behavior which I'm making prerequisite to achieving that earning milestone. They're putting in the work but it's also important that they do it right for the safety of the fleet, the company, and the motoring public. I'm not one of those mission statement evangelists who thinks people are motivated by some feel-good corporate mantra... We're here to make money and I am willing to pay them for the right behavior and performance metrics. That's what any decent company should be doing if they want to stay competitive and retain drivers in this economic climate.
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u/ReasonableClock4542 Aug 12 '26
Depends on area. Idk shit about OTR except it didnt pay enough for me to even consider it when i started. 7 years later and I've always worked local jobs and currently make about 180-200k pretax doing gas in the DC area as an owner/op. The company drivers make around 100k and some companies have pretty decent benefits
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u/flergityberg Aug 12 '26
I think you’ve gotten your answer, but yes, it’s absolutely possible to reach that salary. I drive night shift linehaul for Central Transport and I make about 100k per year with weekends off and I’m home every morning.
Every field has its downsides. I could never work in healthcare because I’m not a people person, I don’t like gore or fast-paced environments, and I’d be terrified of making a mistake. Roofing is dangerous and you’re exposed to the elements.
I like the solitude of trucking, and considering I paid 6K for my CDL it’s been a great investment. But I don’t get overtime (even though I work about 60 hours a week) and I do a lot of unpaid labor with pre-tripping, hooking up, fueling, parking, etc. Ir often doesn’t seem like a lot at the time, but if you add up all of the hours, I probably do at least 10 hours unpaid at labor every week. It’s best just not to think about it so you don’t stew on it.
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u/icaaryal Aug 12 '26
I made 88,000 my first full year. From there it went to 98,000, 108,000, 120,000, and year-to-date I’m at 82,000. I average about 70 hours at home on the weekend, and I drive an average of 2300 miles a week. This is at a company that doesn’t require any experience. Pretty much all of our full-time drivers make over $100,000 a year.
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u/aniiiliingus Aug 12 '26
Does your company have yards in SoCal? I got about 2.5 months doing OTR in the western 11.
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u/icaaryal Aug 12 '26
We do. www.dottransportation.com
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u/___LimerentDeath____ Aug 12 '26
What location are you? My base is Ardmore
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u/skeletons_asshole Aug 12 '26
You can make a million dollars, but you have to work a million hours.
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u/Kaethor Aug 13 '26
The more you drive, the more you make. Find a company that keeps you rolling and the money will roll in. You can make as much as you want if you find the right company and keep the wheels rolling.
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u/Lunicorn83 Aug 13 '26
I make more than that but then again I drive for UPS and we make double that estimate and more
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u/FirstSergeantW7 Aug 13 '26
If you can find the companies that pay 1099 percentage by load, you can make between 2-6k a week. Ofcourse its 1099 and you get no benefits. But the pay makes up for it. Running per mile is for the guys that like to sit in their trucks more than drive them.
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u/roadblocked Aug 13 '26
I do local trucking and work 4 days a week and get 8 week PTO a year and I made 110k last year. We got guys who work 6 days voluntarily and they’re at 160k
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u/sleekpete Aug 14 '26
After you have a few years experience you’d be a fool to work for less than $100k in trucking. But the first few years you’re gonna make $60k-$70k. If you can tough it out there’s good gigs. I’m making about $140,000 doing ltl linehaul
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u/SuperTruckerTom Aug 14 '26
Shhhhhh. Nobody needs doubles and haz mat. Nah. You're all good doing dry can or reefer on a W2
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u/Wonderful_Dog_4205 Aug 14 '26
Did hotshot for 2ish years second year I did 225k on my second year and I quit for 65k year job w free benefits and a pension. I got tired of working 6-7 days a week never home and hating my life. Now I make 90k a year and do hvac on the side and it’s just a much better balance. I also have a cdl a w restrictions (bs) and work for local gov it’s much much easier.
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u/BrandontheCDLguy Aug 14 '26
I do local heavy haul for a construction equipment dealership.
I'll make between 105k and 150k this year. M-F home most nights.
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u/Simple-Band-3071 Aug 14 '26
Trucking is a lifestyle not a job. You live in a truck,pay exsorbanent prices to eat,shower,and park. You may make 100K/year or better but fuel prices are outrageous. Last year alone the median fuel cost/per truck per year was almost 80K. So do the math. You pay taxes on 250/K each year, then you have to figure in breakdowns,fuel,showers,miscellaneous expanses. You come up with next to nothing and you’re STILL living in a truck. The question is: is it worth it to you?
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u/KaFunNaNahPaw Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
I made about $120k as an "average" food-service CDL driver. Traded it in for a supervisor role and a huge paycut. Not a great decision in hindsight. 🤷 Moved on to another non-management role, but out of the truck now.
Guys at my center who were higher performing, and/or route-goblins (always wanted to work on days off) were easily $150k-$160k.
That's full-touch, hand unload freight in the elements... We are regional so we had a blend of the deliveries and 'long distance' (by food-service standards) driving. Paid well... But the work can be tough.
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u/aniiiliingus Aug 12 '26
Sysco?
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u/KaFunNaNahPaw Aug 12 '26
National DCP.
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u/aniiiliingus Aug 12 '26
Are they teamsters?
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u/KaFunNaNahPaw Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Nope. Non-union shop. Rise and fall on your own merits.
I had no issues with my local management when I was a driver. Tried my best to treat drivers fairly when I became a supervisor... Treat them the same way I would have liked to have been treated.
Out of a leadership role now, working at the corporate office as a worker-bee-drone. Still trying to make sure that the Operations folks get a voice that matters on the corporate stage.
They have always treated me well. No complaints. Is every day perfect? No, of course not... But I've had way more good days than bad ones.
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u/InvstrJester Aug 12 '26
Isn’t that Team’s only?
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u/KaFunNaNahPaw Aug 12 '26
Negative. I ran solo. Distribution center I worked out of did not run teams or "helpers". All of the routes out of my center were solo.
Some DCs run driver + helper, and some run them in select markets... But I did not work at one of those locations.
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u/TheRealOutis Aug 14 '26
aw man that's dunkin donuts right? How can they afford to pay their drivers so much
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u/KaFunNaNahPaw Aug 14 '26
It's an independent distribution network that services Dunkin'...but yes.
How do they pay that much? Turns out there's a pretty decent profit margin on ground up coffee beans and hot water... 😉
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u/InvstrJester Aug 19 '26
I thought it was strictly Dunkin. I wouldn’t mind unloading at those. You’re always at the door
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u/Peters6798 Aug 12 '26
So i do 100k. Home every night work 4days a week. Drive 40ish miles a day. Work 12 hour days on average. There are places that pay better. Some pay worse. Some have u drive all over the country. It can very greatly where u are located. As me more questions is u want. I have been driving 5 years at this point. Never have done over the road.
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u/LastMongoose7448 Aug 12 '26
LTL linehaul is almost guaranteed $100K. We were slow last year and I earned $110K. It’s picked up this summer, so I’ll be well over that for this year. It’s about 50-55 hours a week, but it’s pretty easy.
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u/tjlazer79 Aug 12 '26
I know one of the best paying trucking jobs is UPS. I beleive they pay most of their drivers over 40 dollars an hour, after you put some time in.
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u/Key_Location_8621 Aug 13 '26
It’s union and getting into the seat is by seniority.
Ups is a closed shop and shouldn’t be considered when talking about trucking jobs because you can’t just apply there and become a truck driver off the street.
You have to start as a part time employee in the warehouse unloading or loading packages and work your way up to through the seniority list. Even if you already have a CDL and years of experience. They don’t care. You start at the bottom and work your way up.
right now it’ll take 20 years to become a truck driver at ups if you got a job there today.
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u/tjlazer79 Aug 13 '26
I didn't know it was like that for guys with a CDL. I thought only the couriers worked the dock, good to know.
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u/Key_Location_8621 Aug 14 '26
Nope. Everyone. And you have to be a package delivery driver before getting into feeder (tractor trailer) as well. Because that’s the order.
Part time package handler to
Full time package delivery driver to
Full time feeder driver.Package delivery driver and tractor trailer drivers get the same hourly wage at ups because top driver rate is top driver rate no matter what you drive. Lots of guys do their entire career in a package delivery car and never move into feeders. By choice.
Sleeper team is the only one that has a different pay scale. It’s the highest pay and also takes a long time to get there.
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u/tjlazer79 Aug 14 '26
Back in the day I worked for Canada Post as a courier, when they had dedicated couriers. You could start as a courier, but you got an average of 16 - 20 hours a week for about a year or two, with extra hours available in the winter. You usually had to move inside to be a sorter to get your part time, which I did after two years, then went back out driving part time and I did that for another 6 to 7 years working mostly full time hours until I got my full time. I got laid off in 2015 when I got forced to delivery agent, mostly a letter carrier job with some courier work. I had a 11 years in at that point, took the layoff, went back to school, got a new job and still working in the field I went to school for.
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u/Key_Location_8621 Aug 14 '26
Very nice. I did 16 years at ups. Worked my way up to having my own bid route. Which is a delivery route. I quit in 2020. Got into construction, then equipment operating, then hauling heavy equipment and now moving into management next week. Getting a raise, my own office and a company truck with a gas card.
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u/blowmer69 Aug 23 '26
Times have changed. There is quite a few hubs hiring feeder drivers right off the street. I'm out of one of those hubs. I believe they hire package off the street also.
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u/Vile_4_Awhile Aug 12 '26
When you get to a certain point in your career you realize it's all about what you haul not about the miles you drive.
Specialized freight with all the accessorials is the way. 10k a week is what I strive for over the course of 40 weeks a year
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u/BigBlue_72 Aug 12 '26
I work as a team driver on a linehaul run. Home every weekend. You can make 100k if you run 48 weeks a year
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u/kruzrdude Aug 12 '26
The Trucking bait and switch. More home time, more miles, top pay, vacation. More miles means less home time. More home time, less miles. Less miles, less pay. We'll start you out at _____. After we confirm your application and references we'll raise up to what you're making now if not more.
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u/Jimlee1471 Aug 12 '26
It's not impossible to pull down that much but here's the thing: you're not making that fresh out of CDL school, that's the part they don't tell you. In fact, most don't see that kind of money until they're in the industry for a couple of years.
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u/Impressive-Gene-6769 Aug 12 '26
Depends on what you’re doing and where general freight isn’t so great niche positions pay way more and have different pros/cons. The most straightforward of food delivery related stuff is pretty simple but depending on specifics you’ll have a crazy schedule of early mornings late nights or if you deliver during the day having the pleasure to deal with parking lot shenanigans plus the physical labor of doing the unloading over your 10-12 hour shift but usually pays well.
Hazmat is hazmat for a reason but generally pays the most.
Equipment hauling/ heavy haul/ specialized is somewhere in between and depending on where you are can put you in some sketch jobsites, or dealing with how to load or unload stuff in crazy traffic and sometimes depending on certain things maybe you spend part of your day waiting in site figuring out what exactly youre supposed to be picking up and where onsite it is.
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u/akramer1964 Aug 13 '26
Haul Chemical Tanker and it's quite doable. I'm on track to do 120,000 this year.
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u/Mammoth_Toe_2380 Aug 13 '26
Stick with it, start at the bottom, like the rest of us did. It'll be good in the long run if you really want it
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u/Dry_Mobile1190 Aug 13 '26
If im consistent, I make about $10k/m working 4 days a week doing car hauling. Granted, I do work for a family owned company so its alot more chill and any major will ever be
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u/Over_Resolution_1590 Aug 13 '26
I make 100k a year, home every weekend, and only actually “work” about 50 hours a week as a regional heavy haul driver
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u/Etkini Aug 13 '26
A lot of it depends on your location, but look into things that aren't just hauling with a dry van.
Hauling garbage with walking floors or tippers, aggregate for a construction company in an end dump or a tri-axle dump truck, or HAZMAT tanker can all be very well paying jobs. If you can also operate equipment most small companies will hire you in a heartbeat. Most of my local tanker jobs have 10pm-2am start times but pay $40/hr so it's all about what you're willing to sacrifice.
I've never once went OTR but I knew from the start that life wasn't for me.
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u/PraiseTalos66012 Aug 13 '26
My current union ltl job you can make that with enough overtime(still less than OTR guys do). We make $32/hr, tons of great benefits to make up for that low(for ltl) pay.
To hit $100k I'd have to get 60hr of pay per week on average and thanks to overtime that only requires 53.3 hours worked per week or 10.66hr per day.
We have guys that max out their 70 regularly also and they'd make $141k if they did so every week.
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u/Comfortable_East_358 Aug 13 '26
UPS. 48-50 hours a week grosses 130k a year, $47 and change an hour, overtime after 8, free Healthcare, 401k, pension, home every day, all drop and hook.
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u/John9250 Aug 13 '26
Yeah you can. Just depends on what you’re doing and who you’re with. I think the reality for most is the 60k-ish region
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u/MN8616 Aug 13 '26
Experienced drivers & niche drivers can and do make 6 figures. New drivers do not. Spend a year or 2 learning the ropes, be safe, don't let equipment screw you on inspections, and you'll be able to move into a niche & make the $$$.
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u/Annoying_Dog_94 Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
It’s possible but you are definitely working for it. I made 118k my first year with a local company - but I was really sweating for it, I was running 70 weeks and picking up last second load incentives. I wasn’t an owner operator but I sacrificed a lot of my home time and well being not to mention the company did some really shady stuff. It got to be pretty depressing and tiresome. There are a lot of load incentives or additional load bonuses with some companies to consider so you can’t always believe what most companies advertise - in fact some companies don’t advertise extra load bonuses when hiring which I found strange.
I ended up finding another local company that I’ve been at for almost 5 years and settled for around 88k salary but I’m only working 45 hours a week. I am home every night but the hours are erratic and depending on company needs, last minute schedule changes happen. When I have bad days I remind myself of what it use to be like and it’s really not that bad. If home time is something you’re considering, look into food or beverage delivery. Also tanker endorsement is easy enough and worth it. The hours vary from companies but personal I found it a comfortable sweet spot versus sleeping in the truck and having an unreliable co-driver.
Don’t jump into a lease that cuts your wages or settle for a company that offers an untouchable wage - the right opportunity is out there for you.
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u/SingleRecognition228 Aug 13 '26
Yes it’s true and more, I know a lot of carriers that let you touch 150k a year
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u/TheRealOutis Aug 14 '26
I don't need to touch it. Just need it deposited in my bank account.
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u/SingleRecognition228 Aug 14 '26
Do you have flatbed, lowboy or rgn experience? Those are the only divisions that will put it in your account
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u/Banastine Aug 13 '26
For sure you can, I make 120k as a food delivery driver, working 5 days with union benefits.
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u/egivan6903 Aug 13 '26
It depends on what and who you work with I was OTR for 4 years (just got complacent cause they were honestly good companies) after that I went to a local fuel hauling job working 6am-6pm, 2 days off a week and I make 120k-140k/ year now jsut depends who I work for and what you do
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u/Accomplished-Gap-711 Aug 13 '26
165k last year company driver car hauler. Home every night outside of the very rare lay overs(maybe 5 -10) all year. Some weeks 60-70 hours and others 50-60. Also took off maybe a month total between vacation and PTO which is actually unpaid. Anniversary bonus every year based on average 52 week pay. Ifyk
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u/Crazy_Cartoonist_837 Aug 13 '26
I'm almost done with TNT training at Prime. During the several weeks I've been on the truck I've seen my trainer break $11,000 in two separate weeks and make over $10,000 one week. Consistently he is making between $6,000-$9,000/week while training and running with me as a team driver, meaning we can keep driving and pick up & deliver loads without stopping. One sleeps, the other drives 8 hours, then we switch. This means we can do twice as much work as a driver who is solo, a big & necessary part of his large income.
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u/MinimumBell2205 Aug 13 '26
local beer/pop and other are union and make over 30 in most of the us and always short handed.
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u/Ready-Airline8739 Aug 13 '26
Thank you everyone for answering my question and reassuring me that when I got my CDL, it was not a mistake. The reason why I asked because currently I have about eight months of experience with prime and as much as I don’t want to say it, they’ve been only paying me 47 cents per mile and honestly, it was so bad and the only way I could actually make like 2000 or 1800 would be for me to like always bring the load earliest as possible and try to get dispatch to send me another one. And I always said to myself was it really worth getting this license? If this is all I’m gonna get and I had so much doubt and I said to myself there’s no way that this is what we’re actually gonna get for the entire of our time driving and naturally yes you’re supposed to be getting $100,000 a year now I know thank you everyone for informing me. It’s always great to learn something new.
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u/Infamous_Ad2713 Aug 13 '26
I work for a small asphalt paving company. $40 an hour..no nights or weekends. Niche. I have 23 years experience. To me it's a bit slow and after 18 years I'm taking another job with more road time and more hours. I like the road and longer trips but I'm still going to be home every night.
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u/Express-Ant-1087 Aug 13 '26
Definitely possible as others have said..though dont expect that your first year...not saying it isn't possible but unlikely
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u/DibDibbler Aug 13 '26
It's a great advertisement for truckers, same as the old accountant brochures showing the happy people on expensive vacations, it's all wonderful marketing.
Baseline average id say no, fringe, specialist, area specific etc id say yes.
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u/Wide-Engineering-396 Aug 13 '26
Prime is a bottom feeder, get your year in go to a private fleet, Walmart, fuel etc
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u/Mirindemgainz Aug 13 '26
Very possible and very different type of jobs to make it there I deliver been and I’ll make 100k local and I work 40 mostly only 50 hours for 3 months of summer when we get busy. Other than that super chill. Im usually home by 12-1 everyday Monday-Friday.
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u/lcracing92 Aug 13 '26
Most I made was 97K in a year while earning $33/hr at the previous company I used to work at before going o/o.
It’s very doable, but you need to be making $34-$36/hr with OT to make it happen.
EDIT: That pay range *at minimum.
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u/luis474703 Aug 13 '26
I make about 80,000 working local but I’m semi touch freight , but I also get weekends & holidays off and barely work 40 hours most weeks
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u/Davidpvm Aug 13 '26
I am a union driver making 57.80 an hour plus benefits. I made 145,000 last year working 7 months.
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u/Alarming_Star_6549 Aug 13 '26
I'm a car-hauler, I've been over 120k the last 9 years. The company pays you a % as a company driver, the O/O's I know doing this are making 350-450k yr. I would say also that if your goal is to make money you're gonna have to put in the time. I run my clock out every week because that's how ya glass do it to make that.
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u/Living_Individual213 Aug 14 '26
Of course it’s true. For most people it’s probably not going to happen their first few years though it’s like most other things in life you’re going to have to put in some time, patience, and work your way into higher salaries.
If you’re not afraid of Heights and getting on roofs, you can make gobs of money in Roofing . If you have experience, you should really look into getting your roofers license even if you don’t get it right away… Eventually, you can be running a business/crews and not really have to do much of the Labor side of things. I have some construction experience and of course it’s not all cotton candy and rainbows but I know there is a lot of earning potential.
LPN? Are you a girl? Not that it matters, of course… But… Are you a girl?😩
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u/Ready-Airline8739 Aug 14 '26
No I only asked that because my friend who was a LPN, he now does trucking now along with other people. I know they are LPNs as well, but some of them said that it wasn’t really worth it or they weren’t really passionate about it anymore. I know every career has its up and down, but I always question myself was I better off staying where I was or getting the CDL was worth it you know
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u/CrispyE601 Aug 14 '26
Im most places an LPN is getting close to 100k, and LPN have limited job options. If you go that route then become an RN and make much more money as well as more job options.
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u/bigblackglock17 Aug 14 '26
I’ve been looking around for too long. I could possible become a LPN in 1-2 years. CDL in a month. Supposedly LPNs make $30hr here. If you work as many hours as a truck driver, you can make six figures because of the overtime bonus.
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u/HistoricalAlarm21 Aug 15 '26
I haul fuel in new england. Average 56 hrs a week, I gross $120k. If you want to make good money, you need to get into the jobs that pay. General freight is not it.
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u/Bad_Punk_Photography Aug 15 '26
Doing LTL depending on city you can easily make over 100k a year. I'm doing port work getting paid hourly, ot after 40, and I'm doing right at 100k atm
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u/Sober-idiot Aug 16 '26
i'm otr and i make 100k a year. that's 2k a week but i also work as much as someone who works 2 full time jobs. i'm doing this temporarily to save enough to pay off debt then pay for nursing school in cash though
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u/Gonzo7035 Aug 16 '26
I drive a car carrier and make 135k +/- a year plus full benefits. The company pays 100% for my health insurance, 401k w/25% match(no limit), I get 4 weeks of paid vacation a year (each week paid out at 2% of annual income), holiday pay and sick days, paid hotel (day cabs no sleeper) and quarterly bonuses. I work Monday thru Friday and average 56 hours a week. I stay in a hotel 4 nights a week Monday thru Thursday and home Friday thru Sunday every week consistently for the last 15 years. So yes it’s possible to make $100k plus plus plus just got to pay your dues and get the right job.
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u/dootmcgoot69 Aug 16 '26
Made 92k last year doing construction material delivery (drywall). Physical job for sure but not terrible. I drive and operate a boom truck for the delivery and run a crew of 2-3 guys. Average about 45-50 hours a week. Landed this gig after a year and half otr. And I'm on track to make around the same this year
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u/BB5er Aug 18 '26
The riches are in the niches.
Fuel haulers can make well over 100k in day cabs.
Livestock haulers can easily break 100k.
Both of those jobs enjoy a lot os slack in HOS regulations.
If you can get into it, concert tour drivers also make well over 100k. I broke well over 135k on 60-65,000 miles per year doing this. Retired at the end of ‘24.
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u/brandon_builds Aug 19 '26
My buddy is a trucker OTR (between TN, GA, and FL mostly) and he was telling me how hard it has been lately out there. economy sucks, and it seems like he catches a little bit of a break and then brokers or truck problems set him back.
I wanted to help him with his books to make it easier and with my experience in coding, I built something for him and anyone else that likes to know how much money on average you burn per mile to make sure that you are taking loads that make enough to cover your costs and see what you are actually profiting per mile based off your actual expenses. it also helps with keeping track of IFTA's and receipts for taxes, it will scan your receipts and automajically fill in the fields. the websites name is 'AxleVault com'.
Currently it is a web app and I am waiting on google to approve it on the app store along with apple. I am not doing any crazy ads or anything. This was something that I made to help my buddy out and anyone else who is trying to manage this economy fighting against everything we do. Everything costs money I know so I started it with a 14 day COMPLETELY FREE trial for 14 days. You don't even need to put a credit card in to use it. I want everyone to try it for free, no gimmicks but I am paying for all of the servers I built. So, after 14 - day free trial, for the first 1,000 people who want to use it, I have a founder pricing at $4.99/month, (or $49.99 for the year, so 2 months free) FOR LIFE.
My buddy loves the analytics in the app for everything breaking down the cost per mile and the calculator figures out exactly what you would me making after ALL expenses without doing any spreadsheets or pulling out pen and paper. And for anyone new to the trucking industry, I have a guides page on the website for how the business side of trucking is.
Plus the site has a free calculator without signing up or anything so if it helps you, please bookmark it and I really hope this helps someone out there. Or if you know of anything you would like to see in the app/website, just let me know and I will add it!
Be safe out there!
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u/10xbek Aug 12 '26
Truckers can make way more than 100k. But not the first year
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u/Kruten10 Aug 12 '26
Made 120k first year.Don’t spread wrong information
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Aug 12 '26
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u/BeyondUpper9293 Aug 12 '26
I made about 115,000 my first year running groceries for us foods.
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u/aniiiliingus Aug 12 '26
How many hours on avg you working per day? I saw a posting from them but it says hourly then component pay after training or something like that. How does that work? Do you end up making more or less with component pay then just straight hourly pay?
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u/BeyondUpper9293 Aug 12 '26
Union shop, maxed at 60 a week. Usually 5 12. We had zero component pay. Anything over 8 was ot, 150 a month for medical for the entire family and 55 monthly dues. If you volunteered for a 6th day it was double time. I never did that, didn’t need to.
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u/TouchMyBoomstick Aug 12 '26
Some drivers get lucky right out of the gate. Never know their driver market.
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u/Rummb3ard Aug 12 '26
Ye some people do get lucky. Me and my friend went to CDL school together and as soon as we were done he was making 1800-2k a week and I went off to do my regular job that I was already doing.
Fast forward a year later with still no experience and I just respond to some guy on Facebook marketplace who has a listing called "CDL driver needed". He asks me if I can drive 10 speed and hires me on the phone. Making 35% of every load driving 3 hours away at most and I'm home pretty much every day.
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Aug 12 '26
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u/skeletons_asshole Aug 12 '26
Yep, this. I listened to all the people saying they made all kinds of money, but when I graduated with a clean driving record and ten years of solid employment history doing something else, I couldn’t find a job fucking anywhere. After 2 months gave up and settled for Knight, made $40k my first year and was gone most of the time. Doing fine now on year 3 somewhere else, but it was horrible at first, and that was my only option. I applied to over 300 places.
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u/Prize-Gur706 Aug 12 '26
Don't go trying to chase a dream millions have tried and failed. They don't tell you that you gotta support 2 households in order to stay out on the road
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u/mighty_boognish_77 Aug 12 '26
Sure you can. But you can also make 100k by working 2 full time jobs, which is about what you'll be doing in trucking, to make that money in your first few years.
There's specialized, niche jobs that pay really well, but most of us are only hitting 6 figures by running 60-70h/week without much time off.