Truck driver pay index hits a record high in May 2026

The Superior Trucking Payroll Service (STPS) Driver Pay Index climbed to 157.14 in May 2026 — the highest reading since the index began tracking driver compensation. The jump pushes pay above the 2023 freight-boom peak and signals that wage gains achieved through the downturn are sticking rather than rolling back.

STPS analysts attribute the move to a structural tightening of capacity: marginal carriers exited the market through 2024 and 2025, fleets pulled back on aggressive sign-on bonuses in favor of higher base mileage pay, and enforcement of clearinghouse and ELD rules continued to remove unqualified drivers from the pool.

For owner-operators and small carriers, the takeaway is straightforward — lanes that were break-even a year ago are now repricing, and contract rates are catching up to spot. Dispatchers who can hold capacity through the upcycle will see the benefit show up in driver settlements first.