ALEXANDRIA, Va. — An American Trucking Associations study indicates truck drivers in the U.S., on average, received pay increases totaling 15 per cent between 1997 and 2000.

The 2000 Driver Compensation Study, based on data from W-2 tax forms filed to the Internal Revenue Service by more than 300 trucking companies, tracked pay for both solo and team drivers, and noted an increase to an average of US$40,883 per year.

The study also found that 64 per cent of carriers pay solo employee drivers on a cents-per-mile basis, essentially unchanged since 1997. However, 18 per cent now pay on a percentage of revenue basis, compared to 24 per cent percent in 1997.

It found the average starting pay of solo drivers has climbed by more than 12 per cent, to 29.5 cents per mile, while pay for all drivers has increased 21 per cent from the same period, to 38.1 cents per mile.

As for team drivers, 87 per cent were paid on a cents per mile basis, down slightly from 1997. As many as 80 per cent of carriers pay their employee team drivers on a percentage of revenue basis.

Drivers running for fleets in the Northeast received the highest pay in the U.S. On average, those companies offer 31.1 cents per mile and reaches as high as 36.2 cents per mile. On the basis of region, companies in the Southeast and North Central regions are the next highest paying.

Finally, 19 per cent of carriers in the study indicated that their drivers get home daily, up from 15 per cent in 1997. With the exception of those drivers, the average number of consecutive days on the road for drivers is just under eight.