How Much Do Truck Drivers Earn? These Are Their Salaries by Country
British truck drivers earn up to three times more than their colleagues in Hungary, and they have even surpassed German drivers – although they often complain about wages and working conditions, new data shows.
According to trans.info, the labor shortage after Brexit and major economic differences across Europe have created a continent where geography determines the size of the paycheck more than driving skills. With a gross salary of £3,350 per month (€3,930), British drivers top the European table, while Hungary is at the bottom with only €1,039.
Differences in earnings are significant across Europe. France (€1,850) and Romania (€1,794) rank only slightly above Hungary, while the average in Spain is €2,450, and in Poland €2,814. Only Germany is close to British levels with €3,357.
As this portal reports, the real story emerges only when wages are compared to national averages. International drivers from Poland earn 2.7 times more than the minimum wage – the highest in Europe – while British truckers earn 70% above the minimum and 9% above the national average. German drivers earn 64% above the minimum, but still 13% below the national average, reports Pluton logistics.
On the other hand, French drivers barely exceed the minimum wage (91% of the legal minimum), while Hungarian truckers earn even below it – 79% – raising serious questions about the sustainability of the profession in Eastern Europe.
United Kingdom
British truck drivers have unexpectedly benefited from the labor shortage caused by Brexit. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the median net salary is £2,705 per month, which is 70% above the minimum wage and almost 30% higher than the UK average.
The difference is significant: the top 10% earn over £56,400 annually, while even the bottom 10% make £26,700. Regional differences exist – drivers in London earn more than those in Wales or the Northeast – but truck driving has become one of the better-paid professions in Britain.
Unlike in most European countries, where drivers rank at the bottom of wage tables, British truckers are above average, making this profession one of the few in the transport sector where salaries still hold real value.
Germany
German drivers earn an average net salary of €2,536 per month – although a good sum, this figure is still 13% below the national average. The profession is in the "middle": above the minimum, but below general economic prosperity.
Regional differences are significant, reflecting Germany’s economic geography. In Schleswig-Holstein, drivers can expect €3,550–3,575 per month, while eastern states such as Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt offer €3,175–3,275. Berlin records €3,475, which is unusual for the eastern part of the country.
Research shows that drivers increasingly expect more than just salary – a modern fleet, predictable schedules, and bonuses for night and weekend work – as they use their greater bargaining power due to labor shortages.
Poland
Poland has a dual system that highlights the complexity of the European transport economy. International drivers can earn €2,345 net – significantly above the national average and 3.2 times more than the minimum wage. They have become Europe’s “mobile aristocracy,” taking advantage of cross-border pay gaps, reports trans.info.
But domestic drivers face a harsher reality. Beginners start with €1,055, only 40% above the minimum, and often below the national average. Even experienced domestic drivers at €1,407 barely reach the average.
This divide reflects the wider European dynamic: international transport offers a way out of domestic wage constraints, while local work remains tied to national economic realities.
France, Romania and Hungary
In Southern and Eastern Europe, truck transport is trapped in a vicious cycle of low wages that threatens the long-term survival of the profession.
French drivers face perhaps the worst conditions among Western European countries. The average net salary of €1,420 is almost equal to the minimum wage and €1,300 below the national average. Even experienced international drivers earn only €1,544 – which explains why French companies are increasingly hiring drivers from Eastern Europe.
Spain shows how much experience can matter. Beginners earn €1,070 net, barely above the minimum, but veterans reach €2,040 – finally at the level of the national average. This job functions like a long internship where persistence pays off only after many years, reports trans.info.
Hungarian truckers work under the worst conditions in Europe. With a net salary of 271,000 forints (€690), they earn below the minimum wage for skilled workers and only 58% of the national average. Although informal allowances such as mileage bonuses raise actual earnings, official data shows systematic underpayment.
Romanian drivers at €1,078 per month are slightly above the estimated median but far below the national average, suggesting the profession has emerged from the very bottom but has not broken into the middle class.
European Transport Reckoning
These differences reveal fundamental structural problems in Europe’s logistics network. While British drivers benefit from the Brexit-induced labor shortage, the rest of the continent still operates on unsustainably low wages.
France’s dependence on foreign drivers and Hungary’s reality of sub-minimum wages highlight heavily strained markets. The question for European policymakers is clear: can the continent develop a sustainable transport economy, or will trade increasingly depend on a shrinking number of drivers willing to work for meager pay?
For British truckers who still complain about conditions, the message is clear – they have one of the best jobs in Europe in an industry where geography has become destiny, concludes trans.info.
