How Much Does Long Distance Truck Drivers Earn In South Africa

An OTR truck driver is someone who drives long distances to deliver goods and cargo. They travel across state lines or even internationally into Canada and Mexico. Usually, OTR truckers drive over a 250-mile radius, but many find longer distances more rewarding.

Below are salaries earn by Long Distance Truck Drivers In South Africa

A person working as a Truck Driver in South Africa typically earns around 10,100 ZAR per month. Salaries range from 4,960 ZAR (lowest) to 15,800 ZAR (highest).

This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Truck Driver salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.

Truck Driver Salary Distribution in South Africa

The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range

Salary Range

Truck Driver salaries in South Africa range from 4,960 ZAR per month (minimum salary) to 15,800 ZAR per month (maximum salary).

Median Salary

The median salary is 10,300 ZAR per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Truck Driver(s) are earning less than 10,300 ZAR while the other half are earning more than 10,300 ZAR. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

Percentiles

Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Truck Driver(s) are earning less than 6,880 ZAR while 75% of them are earning more than 6,880 ZAR. Also from the diagram, 75% of Truck Driver(s) are earning less than 13,300 ZAR while 25% are earning more than 13,300 ZAR.

Truck Driver Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does experience and age affect your pay?

The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Truck Driver salaries by experience level and this is what we found.

A Truck Driver with less than two years of experience makes approximately 5,880 ZAR per month.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 7,560 ZAR per month, 29% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 10,400 ZAR per month, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, Truck Driver(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 12,900 ZAR per month, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 13,800 ZAR per month, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 14,800 ZAR per month, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

Truck Driver average salary change by experience in South Africa

0 – 2 Years5,880 ZAR
2 – 5 Years+29%7,560 ZAR
5 – 10 Years+38%10,400 ZAR
10 – 15 Years+24%12,900 ZAR
15 – 20 Years+7%13,800 ZAR
20+ Years+7%14,800 ZAR

Truck Driver Salary Comparison By Education

We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Truck Driver salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.

When the education level is High School, the average salary of a Truck Driver is 7,560 ZAR per month.

While someone with a Certificate or Diploma gets a salary of 10,800 ZAR per month, 43% more than someone having a High School degree.

A Bachelor’s Degree gets its holder an average salary of 14,900 ZAR per month, 38% more than someone with a Certificate or Diploma.

Truck Driver average salary difference by education level in South Africa

High School7,560 ZAR
Certificate or Diploma+43%10,800 ZAR
Bachelor’s Degree+38%14,900 ZAR

Truck Driver Salary Comparison By Gender

Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Truck Driver employees in South Africa earn 8% more than their female counterparts on average.

Male10,400 ZAR
Female-7%9,680 ZAR

Truck Driver Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in South Africa

How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for Truck Driver(s)?

How often do employees get salary raises?

Truck Driver

Truck Driver(s) in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 7% every 20 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.

Truck Driver Bonus and Incentive Rates in South Africa

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?

A Truck Driver is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.

71% of surveyed staff reported that they haven’t received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 29% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
29%

No Bonus
71%

Truck Driver Average Hourly Wage in South Africa

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in South Africa is 58 ZAR. This means that the average Truck Driver in South Africa earns approximately 58 ZAR for every worked hour.

How much do truck owners earn in SA?

An early career Truck Owner / Operator with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of R240,000 based on 7 salaries. A mid-career Truck Owner / Operator with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of R240,000 based on 5 salaries.

How much does a truck Make a month in South Africa?

Data sourced from salary website Indeed shows that the base salary for a truck driver is closer to R10,324 per month in South Africa – or roughly R124,000 a year. Comparative salary data from Payscale shows that the average pay is slightly lower at R98,225 a year, or R8,185 a month.

Is truck business profitable in South Africa?

A trucking business is a very profitable venture to start in South Africa. Road freight transport, or trucking, is essential to the economy of South Africa, occupying a unique socioeconomic position linking supply to demand and linking many industrial sectors within South Africa.

How much do code 14 truck drivers earn in South Africa?

The Department of Labour published its minimum wages for South Africans who drive as wholesale and retail truck drivers, in February 2021. Code 14 drivers who worked in more populated municipalities could expect to earn no less than R6,083 a month.

How do I start a trucking business with one truck in South Africa?

Step-by-step guidelines to starting a trucking business in South.

What is the importance of trucking companies? Trucking businesses play a vital role in the South African economy.

Define your budget.

Market Research.

Create a business plan.

Licences and permits.

Hire drivers.

Raise capital.

Choosing equipment.

How much do Takealot drivers make in South Africa?

How much does a Driver make at TAKEALOT.com in South Africa? Average TAKEALOT.com Driver monthly pay in South Africa is approximately R 6 574, which is 22% below the national average.