Started By
Message

OTR truckers salary?

Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:12 pm
Posted by Recovered
Member since May 2016
577 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:12 pm
Do any of you guys know one personally? Had a driver for a larger tanker company tell me he makes 75 - 95k a year using company equipment. Says he could push 150k if he wanted to have his own truck..
Posted by Ed Osteen
Member since Oct 2007
57499 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:16 pm to
quote:

Had a driver for a larger tanker company tell me he makes 75 - 95k a year using company equipment


Very possible, just depends on how long you stay on the road vs time off. Teams can also make great money if they are willing to drive anywhere and stay out for a month at a time
Posted by saintkenn
Saintkenn
Member since Nov 2012
821 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:16 pm to
My dad has driven one for as long as I can remember. In the 80's the money wasn't great. Then he started hauling over sized loads, electric company transformers, and he began making in the six figures then.
Posted by Powerman
Member since Jan 2004
162231 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:20 pm to
Oddly it's a profession that is widely appealing to immigrants

You'll see more and more Indian truck drivers for instance
Posted by Rig
BHM
Member since Aug 2011
41856 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:21 pm to
I work in that industry. $75k - $95k is not the norm, but can be done. OTR tanker will pay best followed by flatbed, reefer, then van.

With how costly maintenance is today, and knowing how quickly these assets depreciate, and the insurance market volatility in the trucking space - I would not touch an owner op or lease purchase model
Posted by sjmabry
Texas
Member since Aug 2013
18500 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:23 pm to
My brother is an OTR tanker driver and makes ~110K annually. Most money is from working inside refineries.
Posted by SavageOrangeJug
Member since Oct 2005
19758 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:27 pm to
quote:

Do any of you guys know one personally? Had a driver for a larger tanker company tell me he makes 75 - 95k a year using company equipment. Says he could push 150k if he wanted to have his own truck..

Yes, that isn't hard to do.

As long as you don't mind living in a truck. A lot of that "home on weekends" means 36 hours at home sometime between Fri and Sun.
Posted by Johnny Roastbeef
Somewhere in Bartow County
Member since Sep 2018
1961 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:38 pm to
I can see that. Our linehaul drivers make close to 70 cents a mile plus $8.50 if they break/hook their sets and nearly $30/hr in delay pay. Do that 5 nights a week and you’ll be well over 100k
Posted by MisterFaster
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2009
1070 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:45 pm to
quote:

I work in that industry


quote:

TheRig


Name checks out
Posted by brass2mouth
NOLA
Member since Jul 2007
19694 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:51 pm to
Guy I was in the military with (transportation) runs his own truck and refer trailer. He does about 5-7k/wk running coast to coast seafood shipments.

Only works about 8-10mo a year.

He was stationed in FL before he got discharged and made a bunch of contacts. Worked out well for him and his family.
Posted by Eli Goldfinger
Member since Sep 2016
32785 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 12:51 pm to
Walmart pays around $90k.
Posted by Got Blaze
Youngsville
Member since Dec 2013
8756 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:04 pm to
Here are some ballpark numbers as I just finished doing a labor market research on owner/operator truck drivers in the SW LA area. Broker companies pay around $2.00 per mile to O/O. Maintenance, upkeep, and cost comes out to around $1.37 cents per mile. So the net income is approximately .63 cents per mile. Truckers can only drive 11 hours per day, and the average speed is 40mph. 11 hrs. x 40 mph = 440 miles per day. 440 x .63 = $277 per day. $277 / 11 hours = $25 per hour. Driving on I-10 thru West Texas you may not encounter problems; however, sitting in traffic on the Basin Bridge or in BR would suck donkey balls.

O/O can drive local or linehaul, and average from 85K to 125K miles per year. That comes out to $53,550.00 ~ $78,750 per year. Some drive more annual miles and make more money as it depends on the contract and what product is being hauled. Deadhead miles (running an empty trailer) definitely happens and effects annual income. Different companies offer different incentives which can also increase pay.
This post was edited on 2/28/20 at 1:09 pm
Posted by BayouBengal
Member since Nov 2003
28275 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:05 pm to
quote:

Walmart pays around $90k.



While they pay well I've heard it's very stressful to drive for them given their deadlines and various rules.
Posted by 610man
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2005
7348 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:07 pm to
Can make more money if you own your own truck and especially if that truck is paid for
Posted by Codythetiger
Arkansas
Member since Nov 2006
27592 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:09 pm to
I don't deal a lot with Tankers, but I do freight brokerage. You can make some money on those type of loads, I've seen the rates on some short international shipments from ON to PA. Paying like 2k to the truck on 450 miles.

Posted by LSUsmartass
Scompton
Member since Sep 2004
82365 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:10 pm to
quote:

Here are some ballpark numbers as I just finished doing a labor market research on owner/operator truck drivers in the SW LA area. Broker companies pay around $2.00 per mile to O/O. Maintenance, upkeep, and cost comes out to around $1.37 cents per mile. So the net income is approximately .63 cents per mile. Truckers can only drive 11 hours per day, and the average speed is 40mph. 11 hrs. x 40 mph = 440 miles per day. 440 x .63 = $277 per day. $277 / 11 hours = $25 per hour. Driving on I-10 thru West Texas you may not encounter problems; however, sitting in traffic on the Basin Bridge or in BR would suck donkey balls.

O/O can drive local or linehaul, and average from 85K to 125K miles per year. That comes out to $53,550.00 ~ $78,750 per year. Some drive more annual miles and make more money as it depends on the contract and what product is being hauled. Deadhead miles (running an empty trailer) definitely happens and effects annual income. Different companies offer different incentives which can also increase pay.


That's great research...you left off companies that pay O/O a percentage of the load instead of miles, this can vary from 75%-85%
Posted by CaptainPanic
18.44311,-64.764021
Member since Sep 2011
25582 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:12 pm to
quote:

Had a driver for a larger tanker company tell me he makes 75 - 95k a year using company equipment
That is pretty accurate. CDL drivers are in extreme high demand right now.
Posted by Mid Iowa Tiger
Undisclosed Secure Location
Member since Feb 2008
18674 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:14 pm to
Its possible for most truckers to do that, especially tanker drivers. There is a lot of money paid in driving tankers.

My dad is retired but drives for a guy he knows just to avoid boredom and when he is driving he makes between $1,500 and $2,500 a week depending on how hard he wants to run.

The money for the owner must be crazy good because they will run an empty tanker from Eastern Nebraska to Utah to pick up cream from a dairy out there. Running that far empty is border line insanity for most types of trucks.

edit:

The tankers my dad pulls are food tankers - cooking oil, dairy products, bulk chocolate, and wine are his primary freight. I am not sure about chemical tankers.

This post was edited on 2/28/20 at 1:17 pm
Posted by dukke v
PLUTO
Member since Jul 2006
203072 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:15 pm to
It's a perfect job for a single person. Working for a company. I would never want my own truck. Too much hassle and pressure.
Posted by Johnny Roastbeef
Somewhere in Bartow County
Member since Sep 2018
1961 posts
Posted on 2/28/20 at 1:17 pm to
quote:

Truckers can only drive 11 hours per day


Excuse my ignorance but are DOT regulations different with OTR drivers? Our drivers are allowed 14 hours to drive.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 3Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram