Box Truck Owner Operator Salary: What You’ll Make and Why

Are you looking to start or advance your career as a box truck owner operator?

You’ve probably heard that driving a box truck can be one of the best ways to go, especially if you have a business and can work on your schedule.

But what exactly does it take to become an owner-operator, and how much money can you expect to make in this role?

There are many benefits to being a box truck owner operator, including the ability to work when you want and how you want.

However, read on if you want to know how much money you can make with this career.

Table of Contents

What Is the Average Box Truck Owner Operator Salary?

The average salary for box truck owner-operators is not easily known, as it varies from place to place.

In the US, driver salaries usually range from $93,303 to $196,156per year. And this is on a 40-hour work week.

Other drivers work as owner-operators and typically make more than those just hired.

That could be because they only need to be paid for their driving time or because they have a company that has set routes in place and could increase revenue by adding more trucks.

What Influences a Salary?

There are a lot of reasons that influence the salary of a box truck owner operator. Let us look at each of them and explain them in detail.

Location

The cost of living in an area also impacts how much you’ll make.

For example, if you live in Texas, your cost of goods is lower than in Illinois, where the cost of living is higher.

When it comes to rates, more expensive places usually have higher rates because they can charge more for their services.

This is because those areas are so expensive that people need to make more money to cover their basic needs like housing and food, which leads to higher demand for service providers like owner-operators.

Years of Experience

If you’re looking to get paid more as a driver, then years of experience can be your ticket there.

An experienced driver will know the routes better, find cheaper parking spots, negotiate better with customers and provide better customer service, so it makes sense that they would be worth more.

They can work faster, too, since they’ve been doing this for a while, saving time and costing less fuel.

More importantly, though, as an experienced driver, you should know what gear to use when driving, such as air pressure and tires that keep the vehicle from breaking down or costing too much in repairs.

Experience goes hand-in-hand with taking care of a vehicle well, which means not having maintenance issues.

Tips on How to Increase Your Box Truck Owner Operator Salary

Be a Good Employee

The best way to increase your earnings as an owner-operator is to be a top employee.

This means being on time for pickups, never missing a delivery, and being friendly with customers.

It also means loading correctly so you can carry more items in the same space.

Always maintain the truck well and keep it clean inside and out.

A good employee will always make more money than an average one.

Be a Cost-conscious Driver

All gas prices differ in each state, but they all increase the cost of being a driver.

One way to save on gas expenses is by using as much cruise control as possible.

Keep up with maintenance checks so your engine doesn’t break down, saving a lot of wasted hours waiting for repairs or tow trucks.

Maintain inventory levels appropriately because driving around looking for supplies can add up quickly over a day or week.

Take Advantage of Fuel Efficiency

Take advantage of fuel efficiency by buying fuel only when necessary; it’s cheaper per gallon if you buy just enough to get from point A to point B rather than filling up every few miles, as many drivers do.

Conclusion

Based on this research, a box truck owner’s median salary is $89,053 per year, with an hourly wage of $18.33.

The average total compensation package, including base salary, health insurance premiums, plan participation, and employer-paid contributions to Social Security, is $181,611 per year, or an hourly wage of $46.17.