Truck drivers in the United States make $50,324 per year. While in Canada the truck driver salary stands at C$58,487 ($45,508) per year. Salaries in the United Kingdom run between £18,211 ($25,427) and £32,573 ($45,480) annually.
The median salary per year is of AU$60,094 ($45,577) for truck drivers working in Australia. While those living in Switzerland make around CHF77,649 ($79,102) per year. And those from Norway win about NOK398,098 ($50,192) each year.
Truck Driver Salary Influencers
The pay for truck drivers depends on the type of employer, whether the driver belongs to a union, the country of employment and the nature of the cargo. Although, to a lesser extent, the experience can shape the pay. The information gathered here comes from different sources, like Payscale, SalaryExpert, BLS, and Australian JobOutlook.
1. Industry
Generally, the truckers work in the private sector. Truck drivers generally work for freight companies. The type of cargo hauled by truck drivers can influence salary. For instance, according to PayScale, truckers in the United States who transport hazardous materials make seven percent above average. While in Canada, truckers who deal with “dangerous goods” earn 31 percent above average. Below you will see some of the salaries based on the industry:
- Truck Transportation – $45,330
- Waste Collection – $42,650
- Couriers and Express Delivery Services – $59,660
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution – $59,490
2. Geographical Area
| Truck Driver Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | Switzerland | Norway |
| Hourly Wage | $18.60 | C$21.81 ($16.96) | £9.93 ($13.86) | AU$24.99 ($18.95) | CHF37 ($37.70) | NOK191 ($24.09) |
| Annual Wage | $50,324 | C$58,487 ($45,508) | £25,655 ($35,822) | AU$60,094 ($45,577) | CHF77,649 ($79,102) | NOK398,098 ($50,192) |
Truck Driver Salary in the US
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers made about $44,500, as of May 2017. While Payscale tells us that the median yearly salary for the same jobs stands at $50,324 per year, with an hourly rate of $18.60.
Truck Driver Salary in Canada
The annual salary for a truck driver living in Canada is C$58,487, while the hourly rate is C$21.81. These professionals also win bonuses between C$202 and C$5,022, and profit sharing of C$966 up to C$20,426 per year. Therefore, the total pay runs between C$36,945 and C$79,703 a year.
Truck Driver Salary in the UK
In the United Kingdom, the same professionals make £25,655 per year, having an hourly rate of £9.93. They also win bonuses between £258 and £4,363, and a profit sharing of up to £500 annually. Winning an annual salary from £18,211 to £32,573.
Truck Driver Salary in Australia
PayScale reports that the pay for people with the same job is around AU$24.99 per hour. Translating to a total annual median salary of AU$60,094. Truck drivers in Australia earn between AU$42,334 and AU$79,284 per year.
Truck Driver Salary in Switzerland
According to SalaryExpert, a truck driver from Switzerland makes about CHF37 per hour. This translates to CHF77,649 per year. While the entry-level salary stands at CHF57,111 and the senior one at CHF94,371 per year.
Truck Driver Salary in Norway
The same source reports that the average salary for Norwegian truck drivers is NOK398,098 per year. With an hourly rate of NOK191 and with bonuses up to NOK9,992 per year.
3. Experience
In certain countries, the length of the work history does not overall influence earnings in a significant manner. Therefore, as reported by PayScale, entry-level heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers make $42,000 per year, while those with 5-10 years of experience can win up to $46,000 each year. The salary keeps growing thereon, reaching $49,000 after 10-20 years on the job, going up to $51,000 for professionals with 20 years and more in the field.
PayScale also reports that the median salary for entry-level experienced truck drivers living in Canada is C$48,000 per year, with the median reaching C$53,000 after five to ten years of experience. Then there is a slight decline and then it comes back to C$54,000 after 20 years on the job. While for starting truck drivers in the United Kingdom, pay ranges around ₤24,000 even after 5-10 years on the job. Only after 10 more years, they see a rise in salary, up to ₤26,000 per year, this figure remains the same even after 20 years in the field.
In Australia, the median salary for truck drivers runs from AU$53,000 per year at the entry-level stage to AU$56,000 after 20 years on the job. Generally, median salary generally stays level with experience. While the same professionals living in Norway win NOK293,620 per year when at the beginning of their career, and up to NOK485,182 at the senior level.
Working Hours
Truck driving is generally a full-time occupation. Rules and regulations typically limit the amount of time truck drivers work at a particular time. For instance, in the United States, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration limits drivers to 14 hours of work at a particular time, with a limit of 11 hours of driving and 3 hours of loading, unloading and other duties. Drivers must take 10 hours off between shifts and cannot work more than 60 hours within a 7-day period.
In Canada, driving caps include, but are not limited to, 13 hours of driving and 14 hours on-duty hours in a single day, unless the carrier grants 8 hours off duty before driving again. Generally, truck drivers in Canada must spend at least 10 hours off duty per day.
While drivers in Switzerland and Norway must have at least 11 consecutive hours of rest, or 3 straight hours then another 9 hours of rest, per day. The United Kingdom limits the driving time to 10 hours and on-duty time to 11 hours per day.
Bonuses & Benefit Packages
Experienced truck drivers in the United States fetch bonuses between $147 and $4,820, profit sharing between $96.49 and $7,096, and winnings from commision of up to $29,087 per year. Thus reaching a salary that ranges between $31,411 and $67,876 yearly.
For truck drivers working in Australia, bonuses won are around AU$950 per year, while their profit sharing can be up to AU$2,000 yearly. While SalaryExpert reports that truck drivers from Switzerland receive bonuses of up to CHF1,949 per year.
In Australia, Switzerland, and Norway, employees are generally entitled to paid annual leave. Employers in these countries are required to contribute to employee pensions. Switzerland’s three-tier retirement system affords benefits for truck drivers through Old Age and Survivors/Disability Insurance, mandatory employer contributions and voluntary employer contributions.
Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a six-percent rise in employment of truck drivers through 2026. While demand for drivers is strong due to greater consumer spending for products, the long hours and days away from home have limited the numbers of those pursuing truck driving.
The aging of current truck drivers may also contribute to a shortage of truck drivers. For example, in Norway, the average age of truckers is approaching 50 years old. According to the Norway Road Haulers Association, Norway is experiencing a shortage of 4,000-5,000 truck drivers. Norway also does not gear its education system toward the training of truck drivers.
According to the Australian Government, the country had 173,000 truck drivers as of November 2015. By November 2019, the government projects above 50,000 openings for truck drivers. If you are interested in the field, you can also look at the bus driver salary.
Conclusion
Demand among employers for truckers should remain strong as customers and others purchase consumer goods, commodities, inventory, and supplies. Certain countries have experienced shortages in these positions because of factors such as the requirement of long periods away from home and the lack of emphasis placed on it by formal education systems. Normally, truck drivers are trained by professional truck driving schools. Salaries will depend especially upon the type of freight, skills of the driver and the size of the employer.
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