Truck Driver Salary in South Africa

Truck drivers make decent money working in South Africa. The average truck driver’s salary in South Africa is anywhere around R9,478 per month. If you have the required training and license, applying and getting hired for the job is easy.

Occupation:	Truck Driver
Monthly Salary Range:	R 11500 – R 22,400
Average Monthly Salary:	R 9810.5
Description:	A truck driver is responsible for picking up materials and goods, verifying them for accuracy, and delivering them to the required destination.
Minimum Qualification:	A heavy-vehicle driver’s license (C1, C, EB, EC1, or EC) or (Code 10, 11, 13, or 14). They also need a medical examination pass.

Are you planning to apply for a job? Want to know more about the market rates? Here is a complete guide on truck drivers’ salaries in the country.

Truck Driver Salary in South Africa

The base monthly salary for a truck driver in South Africa is around R 12,600 on average. Entry-level drivers typically earn around R 11,500 per month, while experienced drivers handling heavy or specialized loads can earn up to R 22,400 per month.

Pay varies depending on vehicle type, route distance, load type, and whether overtime or long-haul trips are required.

Extras

Truck drivers do not receive high bonuses. According to the reported data, only 26% of the registered employees earned bonuses, whereas the other 74% received none. The amount of these bonuses ranges from 1 to 3% of their annual salary.

Salary Structure

The truck drivers do not follow a specific hierarchy; rather, they are usually positioned at a senior level, depending on several factors. It can be their experience level, years of service, gender, and received training. If you want to know more about these salary differential factors, keep on reading.

Experience

When it comes to technical jobs like a truck driver, their level of expertise and years of experience are counted the most when determining their salaries. Usually, a person with the required training and high expertise is expected to get a raise. According to stats, there is a significant increase after every five-year gap for an employee.

Here is a breakdown of the truck drivers’ salaries in South Africa based on their years of experience.

Classification / Typical Role	Approx. Monthly Salary (ZAR)
Entry-level / medium-vehicle driver	R 11,500 – R 12,900
Heavy-vehicle driver (rigid or articulated trucks)	R 12,900 – R 15,400
Ultra-heavy / high-capacity truck / long-haul	R 15,400 – R 18,700
Experienced drivers with overtime / specialized routes	R 18,000 – R 22,400

• With one to two years of experience, truck drivers in South Africa earn around R67,300 per year.
• When they progress and gain around five years of experience, the expected salary becomes R91,580, which is 34% more than those in the previous class.
• Truck drivers in South Africa working for five to ten years will get an expected raise of 30% in their annual salaries.
• When they have up to fifteen years of experience, there is a notable 21% increase in the yearly salaries of truck drivers in South Africa.
• Truck drivers with up to twenty years of experience are considered experts. They get a 9% yearly salary raise as compared to the previous category.
• Any truck driver with over twenty years of experience gets a 5% raise in their annual salary.

Gender

Unfortunately, gender is another thing that counts when deciding your salary as a truck driver in South Africa, though it should not matter in ideal cases. According to popular stats, female truck drivers in the country earn 7% less than their male counterparts. This is partly because of the structure of the workforce and cultural stereotypes.

Here is how much female and male truck drivers are paid in South Africa.

Gender	Average Salary
Male Truck Drivers	R120,880 (per year)
Female Truck Drivers	R109,340 (per year)

City of Allocation

The city you usually drive to also determines how much you will be getting paid every year. On average, big cities with considerably better infrastructures offer better salary packaging and recruitment opportunities as compared to remote areas in the country. Here is a breakdown of how truck drivers are paid across the country based on the city they are allocated to.

City of Allocation	Average Salary of Truck Drivers (Per Year)
Bloemfontein	R111,460
Cape Town	R136,100
Durban	R120,040
Johannesburg	R118,200
Port Elizabeth	R112,460
Pretoria	R119,700

Responsibilities of a Truck Driver

A truck driver is responsible for transporting materials over long distances using large commercial trucks. They are required to drive, load, ship, and deliver the goods to their destination. Here are a few professional responsibilities of a truck driver working in South Africa.

Driving

The obvious and most significant responsibility of a truck driver is driving the commercial vehicle safely and getting the goods and materials from one place to their destination. For this, they are required to have complete knowledge of the road conditions and the traffic laws of the country.

Loading and Unloading

Truck drivers are also responsible for loading and unloading the cargo. They need to follow the legal procedures for that and make sure there is no safety hazard. For this, the driver also needs to check with the receiver and shipper’s requirements.

Route Planning

The drivers are also responsible for taking safe, time-effective, and pocket-friendly routes to ensure quick deliveries. For this, they need to be well-versed with the maps and GPS navigation systems.

Compliance with Regulations

Another professional responsibility of truck drivers is to fulfill all the regulations set by the transportation industry in the country. This helps you carry out routine tasks like hours of service, weight limit, vehicle inspection, etc, within the legal boundaries. Doing so will also keep you safe through the journey.

Vehicle Maintenance

Truck drivers are also expected to perform regular inspections and maintenance checks to make sure the truck is in good condition. Usually, they need to check the vehicle’s tires, lights, and other essential components. For this, they may take the truck to be inspected professionally in cases of malfunctions (as permitted by the authorities).

Communication Skills

Last but not least, it is equally important for truck drivers to build communication networks with other people on the field. It can be dispatchers, receivers, shippers, or any other stakeholder involved in the transportation process. Not facilitating other employees may result in inconvenience and delays in delivery.

FAQs

What is the average salary of a truck driver in South Africa?

An average truck driver earns anywhere around R9,478 per month in South Africa.

How much does the highest-earning truck driver make in South Africa?

The highest-paid truck driver based in South Africa earns around R14,500 per month.

Do you need training to become a truck driver in South Africa?

Yes, you at least need a heavy-vehicle driving license in the following categories to become a truck driver in South Africa: (C1, C, EB, EC1, or EC) or (Code 10, 11, 13, or 14). They also need a medical examination pass.

How much does a starting truck driver make in South Africa?

An entry-level truck driver in South Africa earns anywhere around R11,500per month.

Are there high bonuses for truck driving?

No, truck drivers do not get high bonuses. According to stats, only 26% of the registered workforce receive one bonus in a year.

How much does an average truck driver earn annually?

An average truck driver in South Africa earns around R113,740 per year.

In conclusion, truck drivers make a decent amount of money per month working in South Africa. All you need to do is prepare a CV that can help you get the perfect deal for your profile. I hope this guide has helped figure out the right job proposal for your skillset.