By Al Muskewitz
Editor, Wright Media

Wages for the American trucker rose significantly in 2021 as the demand for drivers increased competition for talent, according to the latest industry survey on driver pay released by the American Trucking Associations today.

As part of the 2022 ATA Driver Compensation Study, fleets with more than 135,000 employee drivers and nearly 20,000 independent contractors were asked about their compensation, including pay rates, bonuses and benefits.

Results across the board showed increase in driver pay as the driver shortage and supply chain issues increased demand, with the median truckload driver earning more than $69,000 in 2021, an 18 percent increase from the previous survey done in 2019 – with many bringing home “significantly more” than that.

That increase was reflective of the bump since the last survey. Wages were up nearly 11 percent over 2020 levels. Those figures include bonuses, but not benefits that include retirement plans, health insurance and paid time off.

"The data supports what industry sources have been saying for some time -- the driver shortage has been great for drivers who saw their salaries rise last year," ATA chief economist Bob Costello said during a media call to explain the results. "Pay increases were broad based across the industry. 

"The driver shortage, coupled with increased demand for goods in the post-pandemic economy really drove drivers salaries. These pay increases should put to lie the myths about the nature of this job -- trucking is a path that can provide a well-paid career for Americans looking for one."

More than 90 percent of truckload fleets raised pay in 2021, with the average increase hitting 10.9 percent. About 80 percent of the nation's truckers are paid on a per-mile basis, while the remaining 20 percent are hourly or salaried employees.

Of course, the survey broke out the numbers based on experience levels. A driver brand new to the industry in 2021 on average made 46 cents per mile, while the scale maxed out on average of just under 60 CPM. The fixed salary driver average maxed out at more than $81,000.

Ninety-six percent of fleets offered referral bonuses for new drivers and 54 percent offered sign-on bonuses. Nearly 60 percent of the fleets that responded at the beginning of the year said they planned to increase pay in 2022.

“Bonuses are a big part of what drivers make,” Costello said. “It’s not an insignificant part of their compensation.”

Every LTL fleet surveyed raised pay in 2021, with the median wage hitting $73,000. The survey included truckload carriers’ labor-intensive final-mile drivers for the first time and their median pay was $65,000.

The median salary for a driver at private fleet was $85,000.

Non-drayage owner-operators that responded to the survey saw estimated median gross revenues of $235,000 in 2021, while O-Os in the drayage sector saw median gross revenues of $164,000.

Costello called the occupation of the professional truck driver a rare remaining “path to the middle class.” And it occupies a large part of the work force. While the industry talks about a driver shortage, government officials estimate there are between 650,000 and 3 million professional drivers in the United States, depending on the criteria used for counting.

And as the ATA survey bears out, they are being compensated more handsomely than ever for their skill and service.
  
"Coming out of the pandemic, professional drivers have been hustling to meet the surging demand," Alabama Trucking Association president Mark Colson told Wright Media. "It is great to see driver pay increasing and we continue to see companies adapt to meet the needs of drivers.

"For the first time, in a long time, people are more sensitive to the essential role of the professional driver in delivering almost everything in this country. It's our job as an industry to not let them forget how important drivers and trucking is to their everyday lives."

Photo illustration by Alice Anne Heath