ATA: Driver pay up 15 percent since 2013

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The median salary for a driver working a national, irregular route has increased 15 percent — $7,000 annually — since 2013, according to a report issued this week by the American Trucking Associations. ATA pegs that driver pay median at $53,000, according to its Driver Compensation Study, the last of which was conducted in 2013.

ATA’s findings are in line with the myriad of fleets who have announced driver pay increases in recent years, as well as findings from the American Transportation Research Institute, who’s shown carrier costs related to driver pay climbing in recent years.

“This latest survey, which includes data from more than 100,000 drivers, shows that fleets are reacting to an increasingly tight market for drivers by boosting pay, improving benefit packages and offering other enticements to recruit and retain safe and experienced drivers,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.

ATA’s report notes that private fleet driver saw their pay rise to more than $86,000, from $73,000 — an 18 percent climb.

“Our survey told us that carriers are offering thousands of dollars in bonuses to attract new drivers,” Costello said. “And once drivers are in the door, fleets are offering benefits like paid leave, health insurance and 401(k)s to keep them.

The full study can be purchased from ATA at this link.