Finding a career that is lucrative and won’t get boring over time is a tough thing to find. No matter what industry you go into for a career, you are bound to get bored after a while. Doing the same thing over and over again can lead to career unhappiness, boredom, and laziness.
Today, people struggle to find a position and stick with it for the entirety of their working career. The reason for this is that boredom sets in or there is a desire to make more money.
Students are finding themselves at a loss for how to find a good job straight out of school that will pay them enough money to make ends meet and support a family.
It is because of this that there is a lot of job turnover as workers are always looking for the next best thing. If you find yourself looking for a lucrative career but do not want to go through years of college to achieve a decent paying position, you may want to consider truck driving.
There are many great perks to driving a truck for a living. With the constant change in scenery, it is not likely that you will get bored quickly. In addition, driving a truck is highly lucrative and can provide you with the opportunity to make a good living to help support your family. This article will describe in further detail how much a truck driver can feasibly make in a year.
As you will see, the type of truck driver that you become will also dictate how much you can expect to make on an annual basis. For jobs that are specialized and have a greater risk, you will make more money.
If you want to work on your own but have all the responsibilities of running your own business, you can make a good amount of money as a truck owner and driver.
Bottom line: Regardless of the type of trucking work you choose to do, you will make a handsome salary that will be enough for you and your family to live on.
Top Paying Trucking Companies
Acme Truck Lines
If you have ever shopped at Acme grocery stores, you may have noticed an elevation in some of their prices. Perhaps it is because Acme Corporation pays their truck drivers a handsome salary in addition to paying their other staff well. The cost of paying their employees a decent salary is then transferred onto the consumer. However, if you are looking at a job in the trucking industry, working for Acme is a great choice as they pay the best and offer a generous benefits program.
Pros
- Rated as the best and #1 paying trucking company in the US
- Acme operates nearly 3,000 trucks within seven states
- Steady work is likely as Acme tends to haul over 9,000 truckloads of food and other goods per week
- Known to pay employees on time. For example, if you transport a load one week, you will get paid for the job the next week
- Acme allows employees to use a debit card or direct deposit as a way of being paid. They also provide the option of cash advances or provide gas cards
- Acme offers physical and bobtail damage insurance
- 401K play is available
- You don’t have to be experienced to land a job at Acme
Cons
- Trucks are leased and not owned by Acme. This could mean that if your truck is broken or in need of repairs that you may not have a truck to drive for a period of time. If you aren’t on the road driving, you aren’t making money
- Acme does not provide or offer training. This means that you will have to pay to attend a private trucking school to become certified
Walmart
Walmart is highly profitable because of their great roll-back pricing and the reputation for selling just about everything under one roof for almost 10% less than competitors. Walmart attracts people from all walks of life and pays their employees well. Working for Walmart is a rewarding experience as you are paid generously, which makes you feel valued for your contributions to the company.
Without dedicated, skilled, and timely truck drivers, goods would not be transported to stores for consumers to purchase. Walmart thrives on having an abundance of stock at any given time, and much of this is attributed to having good truck drivers who can deliver freight in a timely manner. Here are some reasons that working for Walmart is considered one of the best trucking jobs in the country.
Pros
- Walmart owns their own flee
- The average driver for Walmart earns $82,000 per year and works a 5.5 day work week
- Walmart offers a quarterly safe driving bonus
- Walmart gives driver’s time off to visit with family once a week
- Walmart drivers do not have to load or unload freight
- Walmart offers great medical, dental, vision, and pharmacy benefits that start on your first day on the job
- Walmart offers employees the option of enrolling in a 401k or stock purchase plan
- There is a low turnover rate. Driver’s leave because they are retiring, not because they don’t like the work or the company
Cons
- Walmart requires that you have at least 30 months of full-time trucking experience working on a Class A trailer within the last 3 years.
- You will need to have an Interstate Class A and Hazmat endorsement
- You cannot have serious traffic violations on your record within the past 3 years.
- Within the past 10 years, you can’t have had convictions for a DUI, DWI, reckless driving, or operating under the influence.
CRST International
When you work for CRST International, you can be confident that you are employed by a trucking company that has a great reputation for hiring both experienced and novice drivers. CRST has been around for a long time and can assure their drivers that they will have consistent work.
Pros
- Well known and has a good reputation for being a good employer and a great trucking company
- CRST has its own trucking school so you can earn your CDL license by working with them
- Job security and consistent work leads to a stable career
- CRST has never had a layoff
- You will be paired with another driver who lives in your area when you are training. You can train with your friend or family member if you choose
- CRST offers guaranteed home time which is a nice perk as many companies don’t value this as much
- Sign-on bonuses available
- CRST contributes $100 towards your Hazmat application
- Earn up to a $500 bonus for referring friends who are then hired by CRST
- You will receive payment for loaded and unloaded miles
- CRST offers twice-a-week paydays
- Medical coverage is offered through Blue Shield PPO insurance and begins on your first day of employment
- Disability, accident, and life insurance are also included in your benefits package
- Option to enroll in a 401k program after 90 days on the job
- Paid vacations
- CRST offers driver’s a unique “Shut Down” policy which means that if a driver is feeling ill or the weather is treacherous, they do not have to work
Cons
- Long hours away from home
- Being on the road can be tiresome and take the joy out of seeing new things
- Training can be long and grueling
- Training can be expensive and require that you commit to the company for an extended period of time to pay back the expense of the training
Specialty Trucking
While working for a company can be great as you can make up to $80,000 per year doing so, some prefer to branch out and work in specialized areas, thus making even more money. If you have a desire to be a specialized truck driver, you will need to obtain additional training and certifications.
Some of the most popular specialties include hazmat haulers, oversized loads, specialty haulers, or ice road trucks. Because one is required to have additional certifications or training, the job will pay more. Let’s take a closer look at specialty jobs that pay more than the typical trucking job.
Ice Road Trucking
In addition to bravery, being an ice road trucker takes skill and patience. It takes a great deal of skill to be able to maneuver a large truck on a bed of ice for a lengthy period of time. Because of the level of expertise that is needed to be an ice road trucker, the pay is outstanding.
Some drivers can earn an entire year’s salary in the matter of a few months due to the dangerous and treacherous conditions that come with being an ice road trucker.
Pros
- Some drivers can make up to $250,000 between January and March
- Work only a few months for an entire year of pay
- Great benefits
- Work in specific areas such as Alaska and Canada
Cons
- Dangerous conditions. Snow, ice, and high winds are just some of the things that these truckers face
- Can be stressful and you may not get to see your family very much
- May have to fix or repair the truck on your own in the middle of nowhere in the cold
Dump Truck Driving in Australia
Because of the abundant mining industry in Australia, there is a need for dump truck drivers. These drivers must be skilled and committed to the task at hand.
Pros
- Some drivers can make up to $100,000 per year
- Limited physical activity is required
- Positions are open to both men and women
Cons
- Because these jobs pay a lot of money, they are hard to come by
- Quick burnout rate due to the amount of time on the road and away from family
Truck Driving in Iraq
For obvious reasons, truck driving in Iraq can be considered dangerous. While this may be the case, there are some brave people in the world who choose to take on the risks of coming across car bombs, land mines, and kidnapping in order to earn a significant living driving a truck.
Pros
- These drivers can make up to $250,000 a year
- These drivers are most often hauling food and supplies to service personnel at military outposts which makes it an admirable job
Cons
- Very dangerous due to global conflicts
- Will be away from home for an extended period of time
Working for Yourself
There are several ways that you can be your own boss as a truck driver. If you don’t have enough funds to own a truck outright, you can make payments on a lease until you pay off the loan. If you do not have a desire to own a truck, you can lease one and not have to worry about the maintenance and upkeep of it as the owner will take care of that for you.
If you want to own a truck, you can do so but it will be quite an investment and all of the maintenance and upkeep will fall on your shoulders. Here are some things to know about each option.
Lease-to-own a Truck
This option is great for those who have a desire to own their truck someday. If you don’t have the funds to pay for the truck up front, you can make payments over a period of time until you pay it in full. Once you have paid off the truck, it then becomes yours.
Pros
- You can make up to $4000 per month when you work by yourself. It is important to keep in mind that this option gives you flexibility in how long you will take to pay off the truck, so you can take your time
- You can choose a lease that is based on terms that you feel comfortable with such as interest rates and length of the loan
- While you are making payments, the truck owner may take care of the maintenance and upkeep of the truck for you. You will need to look into this however, as some companies will only provide a discount on services rendered to the truck
- If your truck is down for repairs, the company may provide you with another truck so that you can continue to work
- You won’t have to look for work as the owner will help you find loads to haul
Cons
- The truck is not yours until you pay it in full
- It can take a long time to pay off a truck in full which means that you can be working for several years just to pay for the truck
- You will not be able to customize the truck until it is yours unless you receive permission in writing from the truck owner
- You may have to pay for maintenance and upkeep costs
Lease a truck
If you don’t have a desire to own a truck, but you do want the perks of working on your own terms, you can lease a truck. Leasing a truck means that you will make payments on it, but you will not be working towards ownership.
Pros
- This option is great for those who have no interest in owning a truck but want the convenience of working for themselves
- Leasing a truck is like paying for an office space that you never plan to own
- The maintenance and upkeep will be paid for by the truck owner
- Often times the truck owner will also pay for the tolls, gas, and licenses for the truck
- If your truck is down for repairs, the company may provide you with another truck so that you can continue to work
- You won’t have to look for work as the owner will help you find loads to haul
Cons
- You are paying for a truck on a monthly basis, but you will not have anything to show for the money you are spending
- You may want to customize your truck or add a new seat, but you will not be able to unless you get written permission from the truck owner
Own a Truck
While the costliest choice, owning your truck has many perks. You can customize it and make it your own. You can work as much as you want and not have to worry about paying for the lease payments. You can pocket all of the income that you generate and not have to worry about giving a percentage to a leasing company.
Pros
- Some drivers bring home between $150,000-$200,000 per year. However, you will make more money and be able to pocket the profits, but you will have more expenses
- You can make your own schedule based on your lifestyle and family
Cons
- You will need to generate your own work and find loads to haul
- You will need to pay for all repairs, maintenance, and upkeep of your truck
- If your truck is in the shop for repairs, you will not have another truck to use in the meantime which could cost you money and work