�鶹����

Washington – Wages for American truckers rose significantly in 2021 as demand for drivers amid the ongoing driver shortage increased competition for talent, according to the results of a new industry survey released today.

“The data supports what industry sources have been saying for some time – the driver shortage has been great for drivers who saw their salaries rise last year,” said �鶹���� Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Pay increases were broad based across the industry, for example between salary increases and bonuses, the average truckload driver saw a wage increase of 10.9% last year.”

As part of the , fleets with more than 135,000 employee drivers, and nearly 20,000 independent contractors were queried about their compensation, including pay rates, bonuses and benefits.

Among the findings in this year’s survey:

• The median truckload driver earned more than $69,000 in 2021 – an 18% increase from the previous survey.
• More than 90% of truckload fleets raised pay in 2021, with the average increase hitting 10.9%. Ninety-six percent of fleets offered referral bonuses for new drivers, and 54% offered sign-on bonuses. 
• Every less-than-truckload fleet surveyed raised pay in 2021, with the median wage hitting 73,000.
• The median salary for a driver at a private fleet was $85,000.
• Non-drayage owner-operators that responded to the survey saw estimated median gross revenues of $235,000 in 2021, while owner-operators in the drayage sector saw median gross revenues of $164,000.

“The driver shortage, coupled with increased demand for goods in the post-pandemic economy, really drove driver salaries,” Costello said. “These pay increases should put to lie the myths about the nature of this job – trucking is a path that can provide a well-paid career for Americans looking for one.”

The full 2022 �鶹���� Driver Compensation Study is available for purchase at .

View a press briefing from �鶹���� Chief Economist Bob Costello on the 2022 �鶹���� Driver Compensation Study below.