Owner-Operator Trucking Jobs That Pay Well
Choosing to own and operate a rig independently can offer numerous benefits, including a higher potential for earnings. As an owner-operator truck driver, you oversee every part of the trucking process, including job selection. Owner-operator truck drivers must strategically choose their jobs to earn the most money and make the haul worth it.
CDL driver training is imperative to aspiring drivers who wish to make life on the road their career. Driving Academy, with locations in New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, Indiana, and others coming soon, offers in-depth CDL driver training at locations in New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, and Indiana, with more locations coming soon. Here, we discuss the owner-operator trucking jobs that pay the best.
Owner-Operator Trucking Jobs Worth Choosing
For independent truck drivers who own and operate their own rigs, there are various types of trucking jobs available. Truck drivers will want to select the ones that garner the highest wages, including:
Box Truck Owner
A box truck driver is a professional driver who transports goods to their destinations using a box truck. This commercial vehicle features a separate, enclosed cargo area shaped like a box and attached to a chassis.
As the owner and operator of this vehicle, your responsibilities may include:
- Delivering cargo on a predetermined route and schedule
- Loading and unloading goods
- Maintaining the vehicle
- Documenting deliveries or logging other shipment information
- Following Department of Transportation regulations
The type of commercial driver’s license (CDL) training required to drive a box truck depends on the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle and the weight of the cargo.
Company Tanker Driver
A tanker driver is a specialized truck driver who transports liquids, gases, or dry bulk items in a tanker truck. Tanker trucks are some of the largest and most complex vehicles to drive. They require a high level of training, skill, and experience, which is why this type of job pays well.
The duties of a tanker driver include:
- Maintaining safety practices and standards, conducting safety checks, and preparing for the safe handling of the vehicle and its load
- Using a large hose to load and unload the tanker truck
- Keeping accurate records
- Planning routes and schedules, considering factors like weight limits, weather, traffic, and hazardous materials regulations
To drive a tanker truck, you need a Class B CDL and tanker endorsement.
Sewer Truck Driver
A sewer truck driver, also known as a septic tank truck driver or pump truck operator, is responsible for transporting waste accumulated after a septic tank or other sewage system is drained. Drivers will transport these loads to their destinations so the waste can be disposed of properly. Becoming a sewer truck driver might require additional training to handle potentially hazardous materials.
This type of trucking job requires a Class B CDL with a tanker endorsement.
Water Truck Driver
A water truck driver operates a large tank truck to transport water to various locations, such as construction sites, oil rigs, and remote areas. Water truck drivers typically need a valid driver’s license with a Class B CDL and tanker endorsement.
Factors That Influence Truck Driver Pay
Pay for trucking jobs varies and is based on several factors, such as:
- Region: The geographical location will influence the amount of money offered to the driver. Trucking jobs in areas with higher costs of living may warrant higher wages.
- Type of truck: The type of truck needed for the job can impact how much a driver is offered. Operating more advanced trucks, such as tanker trucks, typically results in a higher salary.
- Type of cargo: The cargo you’re hauling can influence your pay. More precious cargo that must be transported carefully can earn you more money.
- Endorsements: Any additional endorsement needed to perform a trucking job can garner higher pay.
- Additional services: Trucking jobs that involve additional services usually compensate drivers with more money.
Where Truck Driver Pay Is the Best
Professional licensed CDL truck drivers are essential to the American economy. Many goods are transported by truck across the country, meaning truck drivers are needed nationwide.
Some parts of the country reward truck drivers with higher wages for various reasons. According to recent data, areas of the United States with the best trucker pay include North Dakota, Alaska, Massachusetts, Oregon, and certain cities such as Dallas, Phoenix, and Chicago. These regions often offer annual salaries exceeding the national average for truck drivers holding Class A CDLs and Class B CDLs.
Prepare to Earn Your CDL at Driving Academy
At Driving Academy, we are inspired to create a positive learning environment for anyone wishing to earn a Class A, B, or B+P CDL. Courses are led by experienced instructors and offered with convenient, affordable payment plans and flexible schedules, where some coursework can be completed online. Driving courses include classroom learning and hands-on training with various vehicles and scenarios in the simulator. To ensure our students find success, we offer lifetime job placement assistance and exclusive access to job postings with companies eager to hire freshly trained students.
We are one of the only schools that offers a guaranteed CDL training program. Students in our guaranteed courses complete over 100 hours of CDL training and receive unlimited attempts at the CDL road test.
We also offer full courses for students who need to earn their CDL permit before they can practice on the road, and half courses for students who already have the permit.
If you’re ready to hit the road on the path toward earning a CDL in Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, and Oregon, contact us today to learn more about our CDL driver training near you and the owner-operator trucking jobs you can pursue. More locations are coming soon.