Does big rig trucking pay more than other freight driving jobs and other “blue-collar” jobs?
Yes. This #TruckerTuesday image below from Burks & Monaco’s 2018 working paper, “Is the U.S. Labor Market for Truck Drivers Broken?” shows a recession-proof premium to living life over-the-road and on 18 wheels (“heavy drivers”).
Evidence therein of an industry trying to attract and reward talent. But can money alone solve the perennial driver shortage problem? To me, this — and other — signs point to no.
