Trucking is known to be a career that while stressful, awards those in the industry with good pay for their hard work. Truck driving as a career has a large amount of upward mobility for salaries and earning potential as truckers specialize and gain more experience. Veteran truckers are known to break $100,000 a year while greenhorns start off at an average annual wage of $40,000. However, there is one lucrative niche market that allows truckers to raise that 6 figure salary mark to new heights; that market is auto hauling.
Auto Hauling: The Job and the Reward
As almost any five year old boy could tell you, semi trucks are known to haul a trailer filled with anything from soda to toilet paper to Amazon packages and everything in between.
While on the road, countless semi trucks can pass by without catching anyone’s interest, no one really notices that they are there. Each semi is just another big truck on the road. All of them except one that is, the auto hauler.
These semis are carrying a large, specialized trailer that allows them to carry a load of cars behind them and over the cab of their truck. People aged 3-103 are known to give their full attention to these auto haulers as they pass by, taking in the latest batch of new cars, fresh from the factory on their way to car dealerships. Or, even more rare, the load full of expensive cars heading to a race track, someone’s personal collection or an auto auction. Auto haulers have drivers that specialize in the transport of cars and they are able to charge a premium for their niche service.
Most auto haulers are able to make anything from $3-$5 a mile. This allows drivers to easily generate $1,000 a day and $20,000 a month. This allows them to cover expenses and keep a healthy profit. This allows the average auto hauler the ability to earn $240,000 a year while still being able to have weekends at home and to avoid some of the other negative aspects that driving traditional truckloads can have. It isn’t hard to find drivers in the field earning $250,000 or more annually, but there is one thing they have to do that many other truckers don’t. That is owning their own rig.
Becoming an Owner-Operator
Auto hauling is a niche market because it largely requires people to own their own semi truck or to have a small fleet of drivers and class 3-5 trucks. This not only calls for a driver to have experience but also puts a premium on being able to finance a truck. This creates a much higher price tag at start up but, as the saying goes, “no risk, no reward”.
For those bold enough to take on this challenge big rig lending is key. Finding a company who understands your goals, the trucking industry and semis themselves is key. With proper planning and the right company providing a commercial truck loan a future auto hauler can break into this niche market. Once they are able to get established they too will be able to enjoy the lucrative rewards made available to auto haulers.