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My brother in law works as a recovery driver for a very large trucking company 10000 + Trucks. He really doesn't make that much (50k-65k)considering he is at th

My brother in law works as a recovery driver for a very large trucking company 10000 + Trucks. He really doesn't make that much (50k-65k)considering he is at the top of the pay scale, so I am under the impression that the driver costs are pretty low. Fuel, Insurance, Break Downs, Regulations, and just waiting for loads that are not ready are the largest costs. Part of his duties is to fly out and bring back new trucks and he was telling me that some of the new trucks have lane assist, cameras, an automatic distance feature where his speed to stopping distance is calculated and the if he crosses that threshold the truck will apply the brakes to slow him down to a safe driving speed (I think he mentioned he can override this feature). He also said there are alarms to let him know when he gets to close to a lane line, etc. I imagine that eventually there will be sensors in the steering wheel that can measure his condition/attention and relay that back to dispatch so they can monitor his wellness and how alert he is, etc. Lots of interesting technology is making its way into the cab to help the driver be safer on the roads and probably is the result of some of this new self driving tech filtering it's way down.

MikeKusold 8y ago
> He really doesn't make that much (50k-65k)considering he is at the top of the pay scale ~~I find that surprising, but it may be because he works for a large trucking company. The vast majority of truckers on the road are Owner-Operators and can easily pull down 150K+.~~ While looking for some facts to back this up, I came across this link [1] which talked about how even though drivers earn 183K on average, expenses eat that away and the average take home is 50-60K. [1]: https://haulhound.com/blog/owner-operator-driver-pay/ https://haulhound.com/blog/owner-operator-driver-pay/
- hourislate 8y ago
  It's a tough business. When he started out driving he barely broke even. After a year or two the company he drove for offered to sell/lease him a truck and trailer and he could contract for them as an Owner Operator. He decided to decline and just kept driving and eventually ended up moving up the ladder to recovery driver (the very top of the ladder for drivers). Now most of his expenses are covered so he can earn a decent living. As a recovery driver he flies around the country picking up brand new trucks or trucks that have been abandoned by a driver (sometimes they just walk away), or a driver quits because he realizes he can't earn a living, or gets fired. A few have been when a driver passes away. Typically the only folks getting rich in Trucking are the big companies/owners.
- Amezarak 8y ago
  The median truck driver salary, including owner operators, is 42k. There are people making six figures but it is not the norm. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/mobile/heavy-and-tractor-trailer-truck-drivers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/m...

MikeKusold 8y ago

> He really doesn't make that much (50k-65k)considering he is at the top of the pay scale ~~I find that surprising, but it may be because he works for a large trucking company. The vast majority of truckers on the road are Owner-Operators and can easily pull down 150K+.~~ While looking for some facts to back this up, I came across this link [1] which talked about how even though drivers earn 183K on average, expenses eat that away and the average take home is 50-60K. [1]: https://haulhound.com/blog/owner-operator-driver-pay/ https://haulhound.com/blog/owner-operator-driver-pay/

hourislate 8y ago
It's a tough business. When he started out driving he barely broke even. After a year or two the company he drove for offered to sell/lease him a truck and trailer and he could contract for them as an Owner Operator. He decided to decline and just kept driving and eventually ended up moving up the ladder to recovery driver (the very top of the ladder for drivers). Now most of his expenses are covered so he can earn a decent living. As a recovery driver he flies around the country picking up brand new trucks or trucks that have been abandoned by a driver (sometimes they just walk away), or a driver quits because he realizes he can't earn a living, or gets fired. A few have been when a driver passes away. Typically the only folks getting rich in Trucking are the big companies/owners.
Amezarak 8y ago
The median truck driver salary, including owner operators, is 42k. There are people making six figures but it is not the norm. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/mobile/heavy-and-tractor-trailer-truck-drivers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/m...