ATA driver pay survey shows carriers reacting to driver shortage

The median salary for a truckload driver working a national, irregular route rose 15% to $53,000 in 2017, from 2013, as rising freight demand has increased competition for drivers, according to a driver pay survey. Over the same period, a private fleet driver’s salary rose almost 18% to $86,000.

On Tuesday (March 27), trade organization American Trucking Associations released data from its most recent Driver Compensation Study. The previous survey covered 2013 salary.

“This latest survey, which includes data from more than 100,000 drivers, shows that fleets are reacting to an increasingly tight market for drivers by boosting pay, improving benefit packages and offering other enticements to recruit and retain safe and experienced drivers,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. “Our survey told us that carriers are offering thousands of dollars in bonuses to attract new drivers. And once drivers are in the door, fleets are offering benefits like paid leave, health insurance and 401(k)s to keep them.”

“This data demonstrates that fleets are reacting to concerns about the driver shortage by raising pay and working to make the job more attractive,” he said. “I expect that trend to continue as demand for trucking services increases as our economy grows.”

The ATA is selling copies of the Driver Compensation Study.