How much does an autonomous truck driver earn?

The vast majority of Brazilian truck drivers work as a self-employed person. These professionals represent approximately 67% of the total truck drivers in Brazil, according to a CNT survey.

Although it has more autonomy, those who choose to work as an autonomous truck driver need to invest capital, work hard, and give up benefits such as FGTS, meal vouchers, and health insurance. So you have to make a good profit to be worth it. Otherwise, it is more worthwhile to look for a job on carriers.

See how much an autonomous truck driver earns

An autonomous truck driver earns an average of R $ 2,001.28 in the Brazilian labor market for a workday of 44 hours per week according to research by Salario.com.br along with official data from CAGED. The survey was carried out from 05/2019 to 12/2019, covering a total of 3,064 salaries.

This salary is close to the average value of the minimum wage for the Brazilian category, which is R $ 1,826.55 for a 44-hour working week.

However, another research source, the Perfil dos Caminhoneiros 2019, of the National Confederation of Transport (CNT), states that employed drivers have salaries of R $ 3,720 and self-employed drivers earn R $ 5,011 net, resulting in an average of R $ 4,609 per month, excluding taxes, charges, rent, and fuel.

Find out what the costs are related to the profession

However, these figures released by CNT generated controversy among truck drivers, as they indicate total revenue, instead of corresponding to the category’s net income. In general, the autonomous truck driver considers as net income what is left of the freight, after discounting the values of fuel, toll, food, and vehicle maintenance.

The fixed costs related to the truck include depreciation of the vehicle, expenses with licensing, Mandatory Insurance, IPVA, Dispatcher, and vehicle insurance. Spending on tires, for example, is quite high – the average time for changing a tire is 13.6 months.

In addition, the costs of administrative expenses (accountant, telephone, life insurance, INSS, vehicle insurance) and travel expenses (meals, tolls) must be taken into account.

Know the additional wages paid to truck drivers

When calculating the value of the freight, the autonomous truck driver must take into account factors such as distance traveled, weight and size of the cargo, perishability, resistance or fragility, dangerousness, toxicity, among others. Companies usually pay more for dangerous cargo freight, which results in greater profit for the truck driver.

Drivers are also entitled to some additional wages that help to increase income. In a night shift, the hourly rate for the autonomous truck driver per hour is around R $ 1.82. Thus, if the professional fulfills all hours of the month as night, his salary will have an additional value of about R $ 400.26 monthly.

The value of the hazard premium for the position based on the average salary would be R $ 600.38 per month (30%). The unhealthy allowance, in turn, is divided by degrees. The first of 10% would have a value of approximately R $ 200.13, the second of 20% would be approximately R $ 400.26, and the third of 40% would reach a monthly amount of R $ 800.51.

According to the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the characterization and classification of the unhealthy and dangerous work of the self-employed trucker must be done through the expertise of the Physician or Labor Engineer. However, unhealthiness and dangerousness are not cumulative. The worker must choose one or the other

Understand the importance of financial planning

Financial planning allows truck drivers to understand their costs better and think of strategies to reduce expenses. He will also be able to plan for bigger expenses, like buying a set of new tires, spending on revisions, and even changing the truck.

The first step is to create a spreadsheet with all fixed and variable expenses related to the service. For this, consider fixed costs that change little over time, such as monthly fees, installments, and periodic expenses (tires, oil changes, scheduled overhauls).

Also, plan routes before each trip. In this way, it will be possible to avoid poorly maintained stretches of road and congested schedules. It is also important to calculate the toll and mileage values, to find out if a certain alternative pays off more than your usual ways.

As we have seen, the self-employed trucker needs to take into account a series of expenses to calculate his income and make a good plan to optimize his earnings.

This was our article on how much an autonomous truck driver makes. Want to know more about the work of truck drivers? See in this article the differences and advantages between autonomous, aggregate and employed truck drivers