Every major CDL freight type, honest pay, real lifestyle.
Hand-written driver guides sourced from BLS, FMCSA, DAT, and the carriers themselves — with the trade-offs, the accessorials, and the lanes where the loads actually run.
Dry Van
The backbone of OTR. Most miles, most lanes, the steadiest paycheck.
Reefer
Refrigerated freight: temp checks, tight delivery windows, slight pay premium.
Flatbed
Open-deck hauls. Tarping, securement, and the highest accessorial pay in trucking.
Tanker
Liquid bulk. Hazmat endorsement opens the highest-paying loads in the industry.
Box Truck
Straight trucks under 26,001 lbs — CDL not required. Local routes, daily home time.
Doubles/Triples
LTL linehaul. T endorsement, predictable schedules, top non-union pay at $90K+.
Intermodal
Container drayage from ports and rail yards. Local, short-haul, high turn frequency.
Specialized
Heavy haul, oversize, oilfield, wind. Permits, escorts, and per-load pay that scales.
Real numbers
CPM ranges, accessorial pay, BLS state wage data — not "competitive pay" hand-waves.
Honest tradeoffs
Who thrives in each freight type and who burns out, written by people who know the work.
Where the loads are
Top markets by freight type with the structural reasons each state runs that volume.