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Truck Driver Salary
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Rachel Seitz

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Skills That Can Boost Your Truck Driver Salary

Becoming a truck driver (someone who drives trucks in and between cities and over long distances to deliver products, livestock, or materials) can be a viable career option for many without having to make a large financial investment in training — in fact, a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) program typically costs between $3,000–$10,000 in total, and several companies will even offer tuition reimbursement. But in this career you’re not limited to only one path and one projected salary. With the addition of certain skills, you can increase your pay even more. According to PayScale, these are the top seven skills that will give your truck driver salary the biggest boost!

1. Less than Truckload (LTL) Freight

  • Average pay for a truck driver with LTL freight skills: $23.24/hour
  • 8% boost*

2. HAZMAT

  • Average pay for a truck driver with HAZMAT skills: $23.07/hour
  • 8% boost*

3. Forklift Certified

  • Average pay for a truck driver with forklift skills: $22.78/hour
  • 6% boost*

4. Heavy Equipment Operation

  • Average pay for a truck driver with heavy equipment skills: $22.28/hour
  • 4% boost*

5. Regulatory Compliance

  • Average pay for a truck driver with regulatory compliance skills: $22.04/hour
  • 3% boost*

6. Team Leadership

  • Average pay for a truck driver with CEREC skills: $22.00/hour
  • 3% boost*

7. Heavy Duty Truck Repair

  • Average pay for a truck driver with heavy duty truck repair skills: $21.99/hour
  • 3% boost*
Truck Driver Salary

Truck driver fast facts

  • In addition to the base truck driver salary, you could also earn an additional bonus that ranges from $300–$6,000, according to PayScale.
  • Surveyed truck drivers were, on average, “highly satisfied” with their job.
  • CDL training takes on average seven weeks to complete — with some programs taking as little as three weeks.

Looking to find out more about truck driver training before moving forward in your career?

Check out our other articles below!

What Do You Learn in Truck Driving School?
How to Pay for Your CDL Course
How to Choose a Truck Driving School

*Salary numbers gathered from PayScale.com, as of 08/30/2022.

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We use a comprehensive, AI-driven assessment that goes beyond traditional FICO scores to better serve career training students:

  • Climb Credit Score: Over 150 data points specifically designed for vocational students
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio: Reliable predictor of payment performance
  • FICO Score: Used primarily for interest rate assignment

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