Low Truck Driver Pay: Causes and Solutions

Professional CMV drivers were earning more money in 1980 than they are today and they have seen truck driver wages fall by 40% during the past 33 years.

With no adjustment for inflation or other such economic factors, and by figuring in total number of hours worked per week, the majority of drivers end up earning an hourly wage that is far below the minimum wage.

Jeff Barker is an 18 year OTR veteran with over two million miles. A former heavy truck and transport refrigeration mechanic and truck owner-operator, he began writing for  Land Line Magazine in 2005 and is founder of the Ride and Roll Program, a driver health and wellness plan.

Joining us as our guest, Jeff will discuss the post 1980 deregulation effects, the public image of the American trucker, why truck driver pay has not significantly increased over the past three decades and what he sees as the root causes and solutions to these problems.

Closing song: "Down the Road" by Rob Anthony.