Comparing wages - Old vs New

1985 $37,500
2021 $93,000
1st year OTR, 4th year driving

I think it was actually closer to $40k, but don't remember exactly. It was just over $0.25/mile with bonuses, on 150,000 miles/year. In a cut back 300 Cummins that ran 63 mph.

 

Well, how far back you want to go? In the 70's, I made like $3.25 hour as a city delivery, foundry paid about $4.25. 1st trucking job. an asphalt company, late 70's, made $4.50/hr. 1st semi job, was like 22%, which came out to about the same, $4.50/hr.( or less, sometimes), then I hit the big time, I was an egg/cheese hauler, route delivery, mid 80's, I made $13.25/hr, straight pay, no OT. When I bought my own truck, late 80's, I made about .87/mile or $32,000/yr, probably my best wage so far, but was like 80 hrs/week, then,,,my zenith of jobs, my union bread hauling job, mid-90's, I made $17.50/hr, again, no OT, which was low for a union job, but still, with benes, the best I ever did.
Oh, I forgot to convert to todays wages, although, sometimes I don't agree with what they say, but $3.25 in 1973, is like $19.00 today, which I disagree, $13.25 in 1985 is like $32.00 today, which is total bunk, and my O/O @$32,000 in the early 90's, is like $60,000 today, that I could relate to, but one, I think, would have to gross over $100,000 today to take home that$60g's. Just seemed easier in 1993,,,Buster Brown semi was the highest paying job in the 80's and 90's, I think @$25 bucks an hour, I don't think they make $50/hr today,,,do they?

 

1976 running flatbed which ever way the company needed I was on salary of 800 per week non taxed = 41K annually
By 1980 I was working for a local mega, Overland Express for .23 per mile = 28K annually.
The country was in a recession from like 80 to 83.
By the mid 80s I was still OTR but making .28, around 34K annually.
In 87 went to drive for a entertainment transportation company and pay varied but was fun and easy w pay approximately 35K to 46K till 1992.
Went with private carriers in 92 and have been w several but started at 52K then and except for a 3 year period have never done less than 65K.
Under the current contract we (rank & file) earn between 100 and 134K.
135K today is the equivalent of 43K in 1980 dollars.

 

My first job in 1966 paid $1.25/hr. Shortly afterwards it was raised to $1.40/hr. My first driving job in 1973 , i got $3.25/hr running Texas intrastate.

 

I haven't been able to get the link to work.

 

I remember, when I started, mid 70's, OTR drivers were getting like .11/mile, or according to inflation, be about .76/mile today, and I just don't believe that. .11/mile was a company rate, and company drivers don't make .76/mile today, do they?
How much did truckers earn in past decades? 1990s? 1980s? 1970s?

 

I retired in November of 2011 from GSF. Delivering fast food.

Worked there for 33 years.

The last full year I worked I earned 112,000 adding in vacation pay , built up sick pay for that year ( 1/2 day a month )

 

I bet you worked for that $112g's,,,