Index shows company driver pay continued to increase in 2014

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Updated May 25, 2015

The National Transportation Institute released recently its fourth quarter 2014 Driver Wage Index for company drivers, showing that driver pay continues to climb across all three major truckload segments.

NTI uses the Driver Wage Index to track changes in pay for company drivers (Class A CDL holders and Class 8 equipment, OTR and regional). Created in 1994, the baseline for driver wages was set at 100. It advances or falls as wages go up and down.

In 2014’s fourth quarter, the index for driver wages was 147.83, up from 147.03 in 2014’s third quarter and 143.57 in 2013.

Broken down by segment, the index for flatbed drivers was the highest at 150.96, up from 147.43 in 2013; the index for dry van drivers was 145.44, up from 136.89 in 2013; and the index for refrigerated load drivers was 147.1, up from 146.4 in 2013.

According to NTI’s data, driver pay has increased steadily over the last five years.

Owner-operator pay also increased in 2014 by 7 percent over 2013. Strong freight demand, a driver shortage and plunging diesel prices contributed to the increase.