Truck driving is one of those jobs that often draws mixed emotions from drivers.   For some, these big rigs are the bane of their existence.  Truck driving is a very stable career that is growing tremendously.  The United States economy would not function without truck drivers.  Truck driving is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing careers in the country.  The commercial trucking industry is expected to see a shortage of over 200,000 drivers over the next ten years while the economic demand for trucking services is expected to increase substantially.

Most drivers love the independence of truck driving and the connected feeling they get when they are behind the wheel and on the road with their truck.  Equally rewarding, equipment and jobs vary depending on what freight shippers need transported.  Drivers are often required to be at least 22 years old, able to lift heavy objects, and have 3-5 years driving experience.  Companies want to hire good drivers who work efficiently and cost less to insure.

Benefits such as lots of sightseeing, lots of family time when not driving,  and above-average compensation will be high on their list of selling points. While you do get to see lots of places, the one place you probably won’t see much is your home, unless you drive local routes. Benefits are a huge plus and are a big reason people seek out truck driving. Health benefits are often offered to drivers if they work for a bigger trucking company.

If you are searching for truck driver jobs the biggest question on your mind is probably, “How much money do truck drivers make?”  This is a very interesting and exciting topic as we will go through the things that effect truck driver income and give you realistic salary values.

Truck driver jobs are in high demand as the trucking industry is literally what keeps America moving.  The trucking industry alone bring in about $255 Billion in revenue per year!   This is not a cake walk however because the operation ratio for most trucking companies is about 95%.  That means for every dollar earned it cost’s the trucking company 95 cents to operate.  This only gives a profit of about 4.8 cents on the dollar.

As a truck driver you will drive about 100K miles per year on average.  Did you know that that’s about the same as driving around the globe 4 times?  Some veteran truck drivers have driven 5 million miles in their career.  That’s the same as driving around the earth 200 times, so there is definitely some serious driving involved with this job.

Here is the meaty part that you have been waiting for, the money!  Truck drivers and people looking for truck driving jobs can expect to be making $32,400 – $42,300 per year on average to start out.  This figure also depends on the size of the trucking company you get hired for.  MOST owner operators gross between $100K – $150K per year with a 50% operating cost.  This makes their net incomes per year equal about $50,000 – $75,000.

Realistically you can count on grossing $35,000 per year starting.  Be very wary and careful when you hear about offers to make $60,000 a year as a new truck driver.  This just does not happen for new truck drivers who don’t own a truck.  If you are an owner operator and own a truck then yes, $60,000 is a very realistic number.

Truck driving jobs pay very well and often come along with benefits such as health insurance etc.  Just remember that these jobs are in high demand as America hauls more than 9 billion tons of cargo around the country every year!  Directly connected with that figure is that 70% of communities rely on the trucking industry for the delivery of their merchandise!  Trucking is a part of the American way and it is a way of life.  Most people don’t understand how important trucking is and how much it directly effects them.  As a driver you will be able to participate in this American way of life and keep the country moving along.