The trucking industry in the United States is one of its biggest. Valued at over $700 billion, the U.S. trucking industry constitutes 5.5% of all full-time jobs in the country. The American Trucking Association pegs the gross freight revenue at approximately $796.7 billion or 80.3% of the total in the U.S. in 2018.
Below are other notable statistics about the trucking industry:
- Thirty-six million trucks are registered for business freight (the latest data for 2017)
- The industry constitutes 24% of all registered trucks in the U.S.
- The number of for-hire carriers registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is 892,078 (as of May 2019)
- The industry employed 7.8 million people in 2018, with 3.5 million of those as truck drivers
It’s a heady thought being part of such a massive industry, but the reality is not so exciting for truck drivers. Despite having one of the most perilous and demanding jobs, truck drivers have had to endure low pay for many years. Earlier reports stated that truckers earn an average of $100,000 a year, but the ATA’s Driver Compensation Study 2020 revealed the accurate number to be $58,000 a year.
In 2018, a personal account published on the Washington Post also talked about truckers receiving an hourly pay of $14-15. The interviewee pointed out that “people flipping burgers” are given $15 an hour to give readers perspective on the absurdity of the situation.
The difficult nature of the job (e.g., long hours on the road morning and night, having extremely short and strictly-monitored breaks, limited food options on the road, driving on isolated highways regardless of the weather) and low pay resulted in a shortage of truck drivers in the last five years. Trucking companies and retailers that managed their supply distribution began to offer higher salaries in 2018 in hopes of attracting skilled and experienced drivers.
Better Working Conditions for Truckers?
The increase in the average pay for truckers is hopefully just the first step in revolutionizing truckers’ working conditions. It’s too early to say that more improvements will follow, but with the coronavirus pandemic giving legislators a clearer perspective on truckers’ situation, there could be more good news on the horizon.
Focusing on the Now: Are You Properly Compensated?
If you’ve chosen to keep driving during the pandemic, hats off to you! Your role as an essential employee is never more appreciated than now when the demand for food and other consumer goods is at its highest.
Whether you’re employed by a company or freelancing as an independent driver, it is your right to get the right compensation and benefits for truck drivers in the U.S.
- Good pay rates and benefits
If your pay rate has been the same since 2017, you need to re-evaluate your employment with your current trucking company. Trucking salaries had been rising since 2018, with some drivers reporting a 15% increase in their base pay. Many trucking firms and shippers (manufacturers and retailers who run their own fleets) also started offering perks like signing bonuses, mileage bonuses, anniversary bonuses, guaranteed pay, benefits packages, and 401(k) plans.
Based on news reports, new drivers can now earn at least $65,000 a year, and tenured ones can receive base salaries of $77,000 or more. Shippers may offer even bigger salaries. Walmart, for example, offered $87,500 in annual salaries to qualified truck drivers in 2019.
So whether you’re paid on a piece-rate basis (by mileage, load, or load percentage) or not, calculate your annual earnings. Find out if you should ask for a pay increase or look for another employer that can give you better and more satisfying compensation.
- Regulation-compliant work hours
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the regulating body of the trucking industry. It passes regulations that are meant to promote your safety and well-being while on the road. One of those regulations is the limit on the number of hours truckers must render for work. Currently, the rules are as follows:
- Drivers can only work 60 hours max over seven consecutive days or 70 hours max over eight straight days (60/70-Hour Limit).
- Drivers must be off-duty for at least 10 hours before starting a new duty period.
- Drivers may only drive for 11 hours on their first shift after being on break for 10 consecutive hours (11-Hour Limit).
- Drivers are allowed to be on-duty for 14 hours after spending 10 hours off-duty (14-Hour Limit), but they may only drive for 11 hours. They may spend the remaining three hours resting, refueling, eating, checking inventory, etc.
Driving longer than the standard eight-hour workday is common in this line of work; it is inevitable when your trips are interstate. However, if you’re governed by the FMCSA and are paid by miles traveled and not by hours rendered, you won’t be entitled to overtime pay.
A word of caution: your instinct will be to drive fast and cover many miles over a short period. This could lead to careless habits, i.e., driving on little sleep or skipping break and meal times to make it to your destination within the 11-hour or 14-hour limit. Be wary of employers and companies that encourage such behavior or turn a deaf ear when you ask for highly-needed provisions, like designated stopovers and driver-friendly timetables.
- Break time provisions
An important subtopic of the working hours of a truck driver is the break time. The FMCSA has made it mandatory for truck drivers to have a 30-minute break eight hours into their shift. In Washington, truck drivers are also entitled to a 10-minute paid break for every four hours of driving, regardless of their pay plan.
Drivers are also required to be off-duty for a specific number of hours between each shift:
- Take 10 consecutive hours off before an 11-hour or 14-hour duty period
- Take 34 staright hours off in-between 70-hour/8-day work periods (34-hour restart provision). This is an alternative to working less than 70 hours in the next 8-day work week.
One indication that you have a progressive employer is if the company also has designated locations, facilities, or partner establishments (e.g., fast food, restaurants, rest stops) where their drivers safely park, take a breather, order food, or even park or check-in overnight. The last benefit is especially helpful if, after several delays, you can’t make it back within your 11-hour or 14-hour window even if you continue driving at full-speed. At the very least, your employer must understand your situation if the causes of delay are beyond your control, i.e., there’s an unannounced closure of the main highways, political unrest, and bad weather.
- Protection against COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown challenge after challenge to the trucking industry. These are unprecedented times, which explains the lack of proper and decisive regulation on what employers and shippers should do for truck drivers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have provided additional workplace safety guidelines that are specific to dealing with COVID-19. The OSHA also reiterated employers’ responsibility of providing a safe work environment for all employees — the “duty of care” that follows industry standards, government guidance, and published regulations.
Is your company providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizers and coordinating with rest stops to help protect you from the virus on and off the road? They are not bound by law to do so; however, the way your employer responds to this challenging time will undoubtedly lead you to reevaluate your loyalty.
Stay with a company that will stand by you during a crisis and will fulfill their promises. Most importantly, stay with employers and shippers (if you are self-employed or a freelancer) that can provide the compensation you deserve.
If you think that your employer is violating any of the regulations mentioned in this article or is depriving you of the benefits promised upon your hiring, you can seek legal counsel from Truck Driver Rights. We have more than 20 years of experience in representing truck drivers in mediation and litigation. We can help you obtain reparations when your employer deprives your rights and the benefits you’re entitled to receive.
Be aware and fight for your rights. Call Truck Driver Rights today.