Category: CDL Driver Pay

OTR v. Local Trucking Work

The life of a trucker can be a challenging and rewarding one, but it’s important to understand the different types of work available and how they can impact work-life balance. Two of the most common types of trucking jobs are over-the-road (OTR) and local home daily work, and each has its own set of benefits and challenges when it comes to balancing work and personal life.

Over-the-road (OTR) trucking refers to long-haul trucking, where drivers are often on the road for weeks at a time. OTR truckers may travel across the country, hauling goods and delivering them to various destinations. The pay for OTR truckers is often higher than for local drivers, and the earning potential can be significant. However, the lifestyle can also be demanding, as drivers may be away from home for extended periods of time, and the isolation and long hours can take a toll on personal relationships and family life.

On the other hand, local home daily trucking refers to drivers who work within a specific geographic area, such as within a state or region. These drivers typically work shorter routes, delivering goods to a variety of locations within a specific area. The pay for local drivers is often lower than for OTR drivers, but the schedule can be more flexible and the lifestyle can be more conducive to maintaining personal relationships and family life.

One of the biggest benefits of OTR trucking is the earning potential. OTR truckers can earn a significant income, and the pay often increases with experience and seniority. Additionally, many OTR trucking companies offer bonuses for safe driving, fuel efficiency, and on-time delivery, which can add to the earning potential. However, the demands of the job can also make it difficult to maintain a work-life balance. Drivers may be away from home for weeks at a time, and the isolation and long hours can take a toll on personal relationships and family life.

On the other hand, local home daily trucking offers more flexibility in terms of scheduling and lifestyle. Drivers are able to spend more time at home and maintain personal relationships and family life. The pay for local drivers is often lower than for OTR drivers, but the schedule can be more flexible, and the lifestyle can be more conducive to maintaining personal relationships and family life. Additionally, for some drivers, the ability to be home daily can be a significant factor in their decision to choose local driving over OTR driving.

Another difference between OTR and local driving is the physical demands of the job. OTR truckers often drive longer distances, which can lead to more wear and tear on the body. Additionally, OTR truckers may have to deal with adverse weather conditions and challenging road conditions, which can be physically demanding. On the other hand, local drivers typically drive shorter distances, which can be less physically demanding.

When it comes to work-life balance, it’s important to consider your personal priorities and goals. For some drivers, the higher earning potential of OTR trucking may be worth the demands of the job and time away from home. For others, the flexibility and lifestyle of local home daily trucking may be a better fit. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual driver to weigh the benefits and challenges of each type of work and make the decision that’s best for them and their personal circumstances.

In conclusion, being a trucker can be a challenging and rewarding career. The choice between OTR and local home daily work will depend on the driver’s personal priorities and goals. OTR drivers can earn a significant income, but the demands of the job can make it difficult to maintain a work-life balance. On the other hand, local drivers have more flexibility.

CDL Truck Driver Pay Continues to Rise

We are seeing aggressive increases in driver pay. In fact we have been watching the trends in CDL Driver pay for a long time, and can’t remember anything quite like it.

Here’s what we know so far.

Freight Waves recently wrote in an article (where they go on to cite numerous specific wage increases at carriers across the country) –

“Demand for truck capacity remains high but the lack of qualified drivers to meet the need is even greater. Elevated consumer spending has resulted in a peaklike freight market for more than a year now, and the reasons why driver employment has been lagging are well known.

Many of the drivers who left the industry at the pandemic’s onset over fears of contracting the virus have yet to return. Low driver school enrollments due to COVID protocols and some 85,000 operators with failed drug tests (according to Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse data) are just some of the obstacles the fleets face.

The result has been a race to raise pay in efforts to recruit and retain drivers even as the driver market may be loosening somewhat.” – FULL ARTICLE

According to BulkTransport Kim Beck vice president of benefits consulting at Cottingham & Butler said –

“average pay increased 10% year-over-year in the tank/bulk segment. “We’ve seen this driver-pay average increase every year now since we’ve been doing this survey, and this year was the most significant increase we’ve seen,” she said.

Average per-mile pay was 55 cents for tank/bulk drivers with less than three years of tenure, 58 cents for three to six years, and 61 cents for more than six years. Those numbers are lower in other segments, Beck said. Forty-five percent of per-mile drivers made $60,000 to $69,999—and no carriers that pay by the mile had drivers averaging more than $100,000 per year.

Compensation by revenue or load increased the most. “We saw a 10-15% increase over the last 18 months in the amount of average pay for the drivers they’re paying by percentage of revenue or load,” Beck said. “On the tank side they were slightly higher, at $74,700 average annual pay, and bulk was $68,300.” As with mileage, 45% averaged $60,000 to $69,999 per year, but 4% of carriers paying by percentage reported drivers averaging more than $100,000 per year.

Hourly tank/bulk drivers averaged $63,400 annually, up 3.4% from 2020, and salaried, or per diem drivers averaged $55,700. “In over-the-road trucking—dry van, refrigerated, and the other segments of trucking—per diem is a little more popular and a little higher pay because they’re out longer,” Beck said. “There’s more of a justified reason for paying per diem.”… FULL ARTICLE

According to Matt Cole writing for CCJ company drivers are looking for more than just immediate pay –

“A recent study by the American Transportation Research Institute into truck drivers’ motivations for choosing a particular employment status – either company driver or independent contractor/owner-operator – found that fleets should consider bolstering healthcare and retirement savings options when looking to recruit and retain company drivers. The full survey report can be downloaded on ATRI’s website. 

A total of 2,097 truck drivers responded to ATRI’s survey, which was open from Aug. 18 through Sept. 17. The majority of respondents (66.2%) where either owner-operators leased to a carrier or owner-operators with their own authority. The remaining 33.8% of respondents were company drivers.

The study found that the top motivations for drivers choosing to be company drivers were: Job Security/Stability, Income, and Healthcare/Retirement Savings.” – FULL ARTICLE

To bring it a little closer to home, here at GoCDL.com we have seen steady increases across all segments of CDL truck driver pay. In fact our CDL drivers are averaging 50% more than just a few years ago, and we have literally dozens of jobs most local or regional with $1,600 – $1,800, and even $2000+ weekly guarantees. We have local delivery routes and shuttle runs with 40 – 5- hour weeks paying in excess of $1,600. These positions simply did not exist a few years ago.

When will driver pay stop growing, we estimate no time soon. We do foresee a tight job market for some time to come, and carriers will continue to respond with wage increases. In the short term this means CDL drivers and being shuffled from carrier to carrier, but with the cdl truck driver pay increasing regularly, it should attract new talent to the market, but if it will be enough, and soon enough is anybody’s guess.

Want to see any of the CDL Driver jobs we have? – VISIT OUR CDL TRUCK DRIVER JOBS.