Top 10 Highest Paying Trucking Jobs
So you want to advance your career in the trucking industry and earn a little extra money to improve your life. Any of these positions, with the right expertise, can be lucrative positions to have.
10. Recruiter
Not a job behind the wheel of a truck, but a trucking job nonetheless. With a driver shortage in the industry, there is also an indirect need for people to bring drivers onboard. There are no licenses or permits required, which is a bonus.
Barrier of Entry: Low
Annual Salary: $50,000
9. Instructor
Being an instructor can either involve working directly at a truck driving school for the basics, or for a company to help newbies one-on-one for a delivery. Naturally, anyone hiring an instructor wants someone with a few years of operating a semi-truck under their belt.
Annual Salary: $22,500 to $52,000
Barrier of Entry: Medium
8. Hazmat Driver
Want to haul radioactive waste or fireworks? There are jobs for that sort of work, but it is not for everyone. For starters, you need to put in the work to get endorsements for the different classes of materials you plan to haul. Additionally, you better know how to handle the dangerous material properly!
Annual Salary: $52,000
Barrier of Entry: High
7. Team Driver
Working as a team usually entails making 60% of the rate per mile while also driving double the distance a single driver can fulfill under Hours of Service regulations, leading to more pay for both of you overall. Companies that hire team members will want experienced drivers, as a collision puts additional people at risk.
Annual Salary: Approximately $54,000
Barrier of Entry: Medium
6. Cars
Cars, even ones that are being hauled to the junkyard, are considered high value cargo, and as such people are willing to pay a premium to get it to its destination without a dent. Car drivers, especially for luxurious cars, hire only the best of the best.
Annual Salary: $60,000
Barrier of Entry: High
5. Liquid/Tanker Hauler
Most uses for tankers are hazardous (diesel and gasoline) and will require endorsements on your CDL in order to secure a position transporting them. Others are less harmful, such as water. Whatever the case, liquids are generally unstable in motion and can lead you to earn more per mile.
Annual Salary: $70,000
Barrier of Entry: High
4. Ice Road Driver
Television shows detailing the lives of icy road truckers, combined with its steep paygrade, has made ice road trucking an ultra-competitive market to get a foothold into. Once you get in, it is also extremely dangerous. The pay and perks are technically outmatched: the $75,000 is for three months of driving during the winter, meaning were it cold all year long a driver would make $300,000. Whether you use those nine months for vacation or other driving jobs is up to you.
Annual Salary: $75,000
Barrier of Entry: Very High
3. Union Driver
Costco, UPS, and others have unions that negotiate benefits for drivers. Getting hired with these companies can prove to be difficult, but if you can get in, you can expect perks such as pay that adjusts with a rising cost of living, paid time off, and much more.
Annual Salary: $80,000
Barrier of Entry: High
2. Oversized Driver
You will need special training and licenses to haul oversized loads, and you may require escorts depending on regulations. However, the pay is very lucrative and only goes up with the more work you put into the job.
Annual salary: $53,000-$110,000
Barrier to Entry: High
1. Owner-Operator
Becoming an Owner-Operator is not for everyone: most Owner-Operator businesses fail in the first year. There is so much more to being one than simply moving items and materials from point A to point B. You need to collect the required licenses and permits to start a business, obtain the financing for your own truck (and possibly a trailer), negotiate your work with brokers, and track every dollar to know where you stand financially. If you thought driving an 18-wheeler was a time-consuming job, you have not seen anything until you work on the business end as well. For the shrewd players with business acumen, however, this job has unlimited upwards earning potential, especially if your business expands into a fleet.
Annual Salary: $114,000+
Barrier to Entry: Very High
CORONAVIRUS [COVID-19] UPDATES AND ARTICLES
- Trucker’s Guide to When Every State is Reopening
- FMSCA Extends Hours of Service Relief Declaration
- How Truck Drivers Can Keep Their Cabs Clean During COVID-19
- International Roadcheck Delayed Over COVID-19 Fears
- Pennsylvania Reopens (Some) Rest Stops
- Truck Dealers Seek “Essential Status”
- Navistar And Paccar Halt Production
- Mack And Volvo Suspend Truck Production
- Fmcsa Expands Its COVID-19 Response
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ABOUT TOPMARK FUNDING
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