Do local truck drivers make good money?

6. Lower Pay. On average, local truck driving jobs pay less than the average OTR position. According to Ziprecruiter, local drivers in the United States earn an average of $51,355.

How much does a local CDL driver make?

Local Truck Driver Salaries
Job TitleSalary
J.B. Hunt Transport Local Truck Driver salaries – 56 salaries reported$57,438/yr
Schneider Local Truck Driver salaries – 14 salaries reported$4,209/mo
Swift Transportation Local Truck Driver salaries – 14 salaries reported$47,433/yr

How much do local truck drivers make a week?

How Much Do Local Owner Operator Truck Driver Jobs Pay per Week?
Annual SalaryWeekly Pay
Top Earners$309,500$5,951
75th Percentile$226,000$4,346
Average$165,722$3,186
25th Percentile$83,500$1,605

Is it worth being a local truck driver?

If you value being physically available for the important moments, local truck driving jobs are a big advantage. If you like to have a more specific schedule, local driving is probably for you. Drivers typically have set hours that they can depend on, which makes it great for planning things outside of work.

How many hours do local truck drivers work?

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), truckers may work up to 14 hours straight, divided between 11 hours of driving and 4 hours of other tasks. Drivers are given 10 hours of off-duty per working period.

How do I become a local truck driver?

Requirements and Qualifications
  1. High school diploma or GED certificate.
  2. Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)
  3. Ability to pass a DOT physical and drug screen.
  4. Ability to work shifts longer than 10 hours.
  5. HAZMAT endorsement preferred.

Is it hard to get hired as a truck driver?

Although a little more challenging, it is possible to snag truck driving jobs with no experience as a new CDL driver. With the shortage of truck drivers, it’s nearly impossible NOT to be able to get a driving job, if you do the footwork needed and apply at a good number of trucking companies.

What pays more local or OTR?

Higher Pay: OTR truck drivers often receive higher salaries than local drivers. The average pay for an OTR driver is $62,000 a year, but it may take time to build up to that. Seeing the Country: You will get to visit locations you may not have otherwise been able to see.

Why do truck drivers quit?

When they feel underappreciated and underpaid, truck drivers currently in the industry, are leaving their jobs to look for something that offers better pay, benefits and working conditions. Low wages. There was a time when truck drivers made decent money for their hard work.

What is the easiest trucking job?

Dry van trucking is the easiest type of trucking job to get.

Is truck driving a good career?

Truck driving is a great career for those who want to start earning a high annual salary without spending years on training. While there is required training and paperwork that goes into getting your CDL and authority, the pay is often worth it for truck drivers.

Are truckers in demand?

Experts and those involved in the trucking industry said wages for truckers have ticked up because of the labor demand in this stage of the pandemic, just as they have in other parts of the labor market in the US. There may be good signing bonuses to be had, too.

How long will truck drivers be needed?

As reported by Redwood Logistics, trucks carry about 70% of all goods shipped in the U.S., and this is expected to grow by 3.4% annually until at least 2023. This heightened demand, coupled with fewer young people choosing truck driving as a career, has caused a shortage of 51,000 truck driving jobs across the country.

Is truck driving a stressful job?

Truck driver stress is a real problem. A 2019 survey by CareerCast rated the trucking profession as one of the highest stress jobs in America. We were kind of surprised to see that the survey ranked truck driving as more stressful than professions in masonry, welding and food service.

Is driving a 18 wheeler hard?

Most truck drivers agree that while driving an 18-wheeler isn’t necessarily hard, there is a learning curve when it comes to operating such a large vehicle. You need a lot more space to do things like make a turn, back up, or change lanes, and you’ll have significantly larger blind spots to adjust to.

How do I start a career in trucking?

The Best Way to Start a Trucking Career
  1. Understand the Industry. The first step in getting started in trucking is familiarizing yourself with the industry. …
  2. Pick a Driving School. …
  3. Obtain a Commercial Driver’s License. …
  4. Land a Job.

Is truck driving boring?

Yes, it can be boring to be a truck driver, but only if you are not careful, or if you don’t prepare properly. With the right tools and mindset — both of which come with the job — being a truck driver allows for great stability. At its worst, you’ll have a lot of quiet time on the road to think, reflect, and plan.

How can a trucker wife survive?

We talked with a few trucker’s wives about what to expect and how to keep a strong relationship through it all.
  1. Trust Is Everything. …
  2. Find Your Communication Sweet Spot. …
  3. You’re In Charge of the Day to Day. …
  4. Maximize Home Time. …
  5. Flexibility Is Key. …
  6. Keep Yourself Busy. …
  7. Consider Going OTR.

Do truck drivers get fat?

“For most drivers, the reason why they’re overweight or obese has a lot to do with their metabolism, which is related to their sleep cycles, circadian rhythms, accumulated sleep debt and stress,” Baleka contends.

Are truck drivers happy?

At CareerExplorer, we conduct an ongoing survey with millions of people and ask them how satisfied they are with their careers. As it turns out, truck drivers rate their career happiness 2.7 out of 5 stars which puts them in the bottom 10% of careers.