ATA survey shows driver pay on the rise

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Feb. 7, 2001) —   A new report from the American Trucking Associations indicates truck driver pay is continuing to move up. The 2000 Driver Compensation Study indicates pay for both solo and team drivers increased more than 15% since 1997, to an average of $40,883 per year (all figures in U.S. dollars).

 The information was based on W-2 forms provided to the Internal Revenue Service by more than 300 trucking companies.
 
Other survey highlights include:

* 64% of carriers pay solo employee drivers on a cents per mile basis, essentially the same number as reporting in 1997. However, 18% now pay on a percentage of revenue basis compared to 24% in 1997.

* The average starting pay of solo drivers has increased more than 12% from 1997 to 2000, to 29.5 cents per mile, while pay for all truck drivers has increased 21% from the same period, to 38.1 cents per mile.

* For team drivers, 87% of carriers pay on a cents per mile basis, down slightly from 1997. 80% of carriers pay their employee team drivers on a percent of revenue basis.

* The highest paying part of the country for regional truck drivers is the Northeast, which starts out at 31.1 cents per mile and reaches as high as 36.2 cents per mile. The next highest paying regions are the Southeast and North Central.

* 19% of carriers in the study report their drivers get home daily, up from 15% in 1997. Excluding those carriers whose drivers do get home daily, the average number of consecutive days on the road for drivers is just under eight.

Source: Truckinginfo.com