A great article Ryan.

I have known a few long-distance Canadian truckers (not truck drivers). Judging by the man toys and houses they own, they are probably in the $60,000 to $100,000 annual "net income" bracket. But the price they pay to get that income is immense: not home for three weeks a month. And then, there is the headache of keeping your own truck working properly and running a small business. Worth it? Not for me.

The local drivers (wage earners) have a substantially lower income. But they are home, and do not have as much "skin" in the game. Without a working spouse, it would be a lower-middle class income.

I worked at a gas station and got to know the truck driver delivering our fuel. He said he was getting paid $40 an hour to run a B-train. Maneuvering B-trains around gas stations is an amazing skill. He had to start work each morning at 6:00 am. The logistical engineers set his route and deliveries. He could be home six hours later or 16 hours later. He could be driving one of ten trucks in the fleet. I never asked him about overtime pay.

In the end, the consumers benefit from the less-than-fair wages the truckers are paid. I don't think there is much margin in the trucking industry.

Maybe this current mess will teach us we what is really important to put on a truck. A less materialistic world would mean lower need for truck drivers.