On the average, over the road truck drivers earn more money than other types of drivers. They earn from $70,000 to $100,000 per annum. The yearly amount earned by the best trucking job depends on what type of truck driving is performed. But as you can see, this job is one of the highest paying jobs in the country.
OTR Drivers are a Special Lot
Being an over-the-road driver is not that easy. First, you need to be educated on this type of driving and then you have to pass a qualifying exam before you are given a CDL or commercial driver’s license. These types of drivers are required to have higher standards compared to normal city drivers since they handle big and powerful machines.
And then you have to drive long hours in all kinds of road and weather conditions. You also need to follow the road laws that often vary from state to state while delivering different types of cargos all over the country.
Specialty Drivers
One kind of OTR driver that has the best trucking job in terms of pay scale is the specialty driver. Among OTR drivers, they rank among the highest in skills, discipline and knowhow.
These drivers usually haul oversized loads in great volume inside 40-foot containers oftentimes across states for long hours in one stretch. A driver must be specially trained and adequately experienced to be able to stand the rigors of driving in all kinds of road and weather conditions, and over long hours. That is the main reason why they are paid higher. They have developed exceptional driving skills.
Long haul drivers who are union members are even paid higher because unions have certain rules that protect their members’ salary scales.
The Rules
Aside from the normal laws that regular drivers are expected to follow, union drivers must abide by a more stringent set of rules, must be abreast of policy changes in the industry, and strictly adhere to the road laws of the states they want to go. This is but natural since a long-haul driver is considered to be the best trucking job in the industry.
