What Is the Gross Monthly Income for a Flatbed Truck Driver?

Job Overview

The job of a truck driver is to transport goods and freight between locations. There are several different types of commercial trucks, and some drivers specialize in operating one particular type of vehicle. Flat bed trucks use trailers that have no sides or roof. Flat beds are often used for hauling heavy or over-sized loads, such as construction equipment. If a flat bed truck has a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more, the driver must hold a commercial driver's license (CDL). Some flat bed truck operator own their own vehicles and must be skilled at managing a transport business in addition to personally driving a truck.

The BLS reports that the median hourly income for all tractor-trailer operators is $17.92 as of 2008. The bottom 10 percent of drivers earn less than $11.63 per hour while the top 10 percent make more than $27.07 hourly. To prevent driver fatigue, federal laws regulate how many hours a driver may operate each week. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a flat bed truck driver can work no more than 60 hours during a seven-day period. This means that at the median wage of $17.92 per hour, a driver operating for the maximum allowable time during four weeks earns $4,300 per month. Of course, many drivers work fewer than the maximum 60 hours per week.

Several factors can cause the actual income of a flat bed truck driver to change. Operators who also own their own vehicles have many business expenses that must be paid. Expenses such as fuel, insurance and maintenance must be paid every month. These costs must be subtracted from the gross income of an owner-operator and cause the actual net income to be reduced. According to the BLS, income for truck drivers usually is higher for experienced operators using large trucks, compared to new operators and small vehicles.

The BLS reports that job opportunities and earnings for tractor-trailer operators, including flat bed truck drivers, are expected to increase in the foreseeable future. The Bureau predicts that this occupation will expand by 13 percent between 2008 and 2018. The best job opportunities and salaries are projected to be for long-haul drivers with training and experience transporting heavy loads.