A heavy hauler moves materials and heavy equipment for construction contractors and logistics companies. Moving heavy objects is no easy feat. And so, heavy hauler business can demand a good sum of money for their services.
Are you thinking about becoming an owner-operator, a driver, or a contractor? Then it’s important to know how much do heavy haulers make and ways to earn more.
Before we discuss how much does a heavy hauler make, let’s first discuss what this is. A heavy hauler is a specialized truck used to move oversized loads such as cranes, frontloaders, and tanks. Heavy haulers are used in the construction and logistics industry.
A heavy hauler is in charge of carrying large or oversized roads. You’ll need to have your commercial driver’s license (CDL) to become a heavy hauler in your state. You also need to have a good driving record to be qualified to take on this role. You may be in charge of transporting items such as:
Farm equipment
Industrial machinery
Construction materials
Military equipment
In all cases, it’s a job that requires knowing optimized routing, using special handling, and having additional permits. If you want to get into the business and work as a heavy hauler then a good first step is to get your CDL and gain experience driving oversized loads.
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You’re probably wondering how much do heavy equipment haulers make per hour and year. Generally speaking, you’re going to make around $30 per hour working as a heavy hauler owner-operator in the US.
This is the average pay rate and it may vary depending on your job tasks, experience, and job location. How much you make as an owner-operator can also be influenced by what type of load you’re in charge of moving. For example, you can earn more by transporting dangerous chemicals or flat-bed loads.
The reason you have the potential to make good money in trucking is that you may be required to move tough and oversized loads and work very long hours and days. It can be a stressful job , and there are times you may need truck repair services or roadside assistance.
The annual salaries range quite greatly for heavy hauler drivers, as it can be as high as over $110,000. Experience is a determining factor on how much do heavy haul truckers make. In connection, drivers without adequate experience earn as low as $40,000 per year.
The type of load is another determinant on how much does a heavy haul truck driver make. Those transporting cranes usually charge $30 per mile. That said, a heavy hauler truck driver moving a crane in 50 miles will earn $1,500 per trip. All in all, taking factors aside. The average heavy hauler driver salary is $60,000-$70,000.
Now that you know how much do heavy haul drivers make, let’s explore how you can earn more. There are some actions you can take such as:
The more skilled you are with licenses and certifications and the more experience you have moving oversized loads, the better chance you’ll have at earning more annually. You may also want to consider moving locations and working where these jobs are not only in demand but where they pay more. Other ways you can make big money in include:
If you’re looking to start your own business or employ other heavy haulers then it’s important that you are set up to succeed. One area you can’t afford to overlook is finding the right types of insurance policies that can protect you and your business and your truck drivers. Here are some of the insurance policies to consider getting:
General liability insurance–Covers the cost of medical treatment and reimbursement if your heavy hauler business causes an accident that result in the injuries and property damage of third parties
Commercial auto insurance–Commercial auto insurance can be used to cover the accidents caused by your heavy hauler truck. This also comes with coverage that cover the heavy hauler truck’s repairs
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Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
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