How Different Trailer Types Impact Freight & Driver Pay
You probably already know that professional truck drivers can earn high salaries, but you may not realize that the type of trailers being hauled influences those salaries.
If you’re considering becoming an OTR truck driver, keep reading this article to learn more about the different types of trailers you could haul and how they could impact your salary. Keep in mind, though, that salary is also influenced by your employer and your overall experience and training.
Let’s get started!
Dry Van Trailers
Dry van trailers are enclosed rectangular boxes, typically 8 feet wide, 8 feet tall, and up to 53 feet long. These trailers can carry up to 45,000 pounds of freight and are ideal for shipping goods that don’t require complete climate control but still need protection. Examples include non-perishable foods and beverages, manufactured parts and equipment, clothing, and furniture. Dry vans are one of the most popular types of truck trailers on the roads today and don’t require as much training to learn how to operate.
On average, as a professional dry van trailer truck driver, you could earn up to $40,000 annually.
Reefers
“Reefer” is a common nickname for an insulated, climate-controlled trailer. While these refrigerated trailers are ideal for transporting frozen or chilled foods and beverages, they are also used to transport pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics, plants, musical instruments, electronics, and even fine art and antiques. Like dry vans, they are 8 feet wide, 8 feet tall, up to 53 feet long, and can haul up to 45,000 pounds of cargo. While you don’t need a special endorsement to operate a reefer, you may need one depending on the type of cargo you’re hauling. For example, if you’re hauling hazardous goods, you’ll need your CDL H endorsement. You can read this blog to learn more about CDL endorsements.
Driving a reefer truck can earn you as much as $98,000 annually, but the average salary is about $65,000. It really depends on the type of goods you’re hauling.
Flatbeds
Aluminum, steel, and combo flatbed trailers are commonly used for transporting heavy equipment, irregularly sized machinery, and other uncommon loads. They are not enclosed like dry vans and can, therefore, be loaded from the top and sides, not just from the rear. This type of trailer can typically accommodate loads up to 48,000 pounds.
The average yearly salary for a flatbed driver is above $66,000, and experienced drivers commonly earn more than $90,000 annually.
Step Deck/Drop Deck
A single-drop deck or step deck trailer is used to haul larger and heavier freight than a standard flatbed trailer can. Depending on where you’re driving, your load will be subjected to height maximums, typically between 13.5 and 14.5 feet. Standard flatbeds stand about 5 feet above ground level. Drop decks feature front and rear decks, where the longer rear decks stand only about 3.5 feet above the ground, allowing up to ten feet in freight height. Drop decks successfully transport up to 48,000 pounds of large farm machinery like bulldozers.
Many new step deck drivers earn more than $75,000 a year, with top performers making around $110,000.
Tanker
Tanker trailers are reinforced cylinders used to transport hazardous and food-grade goods, including explosive gases and liquids, cooking oil, milk, and even syrups. These tanks are constructed to resist leakage and ensure the safest transport possible. If you’re considering becoming a company tanker driver, you’ll need your CDL A and N endorsement.
Although there’s a ton of responsibility associated with this type of truck driving career, it definitely pays off, as the average base salary for tank truck drivers in the U.S. is $91,691.
Double/Triple
Double- and triple-trailer truck drivers require a special CDL endorsement (T). A single tractor pulls two or three trailers, typically loaded with non-perishable, lightweight freight required to be shipped in high volume. This not only allows for more products to be transported on a single trip but also increases the legal culpability of the trucking company employing the technique. Double- and triple-trailer truck drivers are always in high demand; the industry is evergreen.
The 75th percentile of double/triple-trailer drivers in the U.S. makes $86,000 yearly on average.
Lowboy
Driving a lowboy semi-truck trailer means you like the thrill of hauling extra-tall and burdensome freight, like another semi-truck. Lowboys are designed with heavy construction to allow freight of up to twelve feet tall. With their two standard axles, lowboys can haul up to 40,000 pounds. But with added axles, they can haul well in excess of 100,000 pounds.
Today, in the U.S., you can earn up to $60 per hour operating a lowboy tractor-trailer rig. The average salary varies based on location but can be up to $70,000.
Hotshot
Hotshots are low-to-the-ground flatbed trailers. The majority of hotshots are less than 40 feet long, allow for a maximum freight height of up to 9.5 feet, and can accommodate loads up to 16,500 pounds. You can pull a hotshot trailer with a specialized Class 3 to Class 6 pickup truck if they’re properly modified, meaning no semi-truck is necessary.
The 75th percentile salary for hotshot drivers in the U.S. is more than $71,000 annually.
Conestoga/Curtainside
Conestoga and curtainside trailers aren’t quite the same, although many mistake them as so. The Conestoga trailer features a slideable rail/canopy tarping system to protect the freight. They’re a smart option for protecting cargo relative to open-deck trailers like flatbeds and step decks. Comparatively, curtainsides have stationary, liftable tarps in the front and all sides. They don’t retract like the Conestoga’s, meaning they can only be loaded from the sides or rear, but not from above. These trailer types are commonly used to haul robotic equipment, helicopters and other aviation machinery, and other challenging freight that requires extensive protection.
The average curtainside trailer driver in the United States earns more than $50,000 yearly.
Agricultural/Hopper-Bottom
Hopper-bottom semi-trailers are used to transport agricultural commodities like flaxseed, soybeans, corn, rice, rye, oats, barley, and wheat. The freight is emptied through the bottom of the trailer via hoppers, hence the name. Hopper trailer drivers need a Class A CDL, and it’s helpful to have some experience hauling bulk amounts of grains, sand, construction products, or other similar materials.
Entry-level hopper-bottom drivers earn around $40,000 annually, while the most experienced drivers earn as much as $175,000.
Learn About Working for TSI
If you’re thinking about becoming a truck driver, we recommend earning your CDL A first because this certification will immediately open up more opportunities for you than a CDL B or C. From there, you can decide whether you want to pay to earn specific endorsements.
TSI offers a six-week New Driver Program that can help you earn your CDL A by teaching you pre-trip inspections, trip planning, defensive driving, and more. The course features three days of in-classroom work followed by six weeks of driving to ensure you get hands-on experience. Visit our website today to reserve your spot!
