Driver Pay & Recruiting
ATA survey says most participating fleets planned 2026 driver-pay increases
· Source: Trucking Dive
A survey of more than 130 fleets found that most planned to increase driver pay in 2026, according to ATA's Driver Compensation Study reported by Trucking Dive. Median 2025 pay for irregular-route truckload drivers rose 8.3% from the 2023 study to $73,639.
Summary and practical context by RoadHouse Recruiting · Reviewed
Pay gains varied by operating model
ATA reported a 4.2% increase in dedicated-route median compensation from the 2023 study. The full study covers more than 140,000 employee drivers and 9,000 leased-on independent contractors.
Some categories did not move higher
Trucking Dive reported 2025 median linehaul LTL earnings of $85,000 and median leased-on contractor gross earnings above $170,000, both below the figures in the 2023 study. ATA noted that the carrier samples differed between survey years.
Survey findings are not a universal pay scale
Compensation varies with miles, route type, home time, benefits, deductions and fleet practices. Planned increases describe surveyed carrier intentions and should not be presented as guaranteed driver earnings.
Understanding the update
The October 13 article reports ATA's 2026 study, which covers 2025 earnings and carrier plans. Different survey samples limit direct year-to-year comparisons.
What it means for drivers and carriers
Recruiters should quote verified job-specific pay and explain miles, deductions and home time instead of relying on a national median alone.
Questions to consider
- Does the advertised pay match payroll results for comparable drivers?
- Which pay components are guaranteed and which depend on miles or performance?
- How do home time and deductions affect take-home pay?
Read the original reporting
This page provides an original summary and practical commentary. The linked source contains the full reporting. Older stories reflect information available on their published dates.
Read the source at Trucking Dive ↗ (opens in a new tab)