Truck Driver Salary in Kentucky (2026)
The average Truck Driver in Kentucky earns around $60,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $48,121/year ($4,010/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $48,121 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $4,010 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $1,851 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $23/hr |
Federal Tax | $5,020 |
State Tax | $2,269 |
FICA Taxes | $4,590 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 19.8% |
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Truck Driver Salary Ranges in Kentucky
Not all Truck Drivers earn the same — not even close
Kentucky's truck-driver market is anchored by I-65 north-south corridor (Chicago to Birmingham via Louisville), I-71 corridor (Louisville to Cincinnati), I-75 corridor (Detroit to Atlanta via Lexington), I-64 east-west corridor (St. Louis to Norfolk via Louisville + Lexington), substantial UPS Worldport Louisville intermodal + ground operations, Toyota Manufacturing Kentucky logistics (~30K+ inbound trailers daily at peak production), Ford Louisville Assembly + KTP logistics, Yum! Brands restaurant supply, plus Amazon Air Hub CVG Northern KY logistics.
Senior OTR Driver (Long-Haul)
$72,000–$118,000+ OT
Schneider + Werner + JB Hunt + CRST KY-based · OBBBA OT deduction applies
Senior Dedicated Route (UPS / Toyota / Ford)
$72,000–$108,000+ OT
Dedicated route · UPS feeder + Toyota TMMK + Ford KTP + Yum! restaurant supply · home-most-nights
Senior Regional LTL (FedEx / UPS / OD)
$75,000–$108,000
Regional LTL · FedEx Freight + UPS Freight + Old Dominion · home daily/weekly · pension premium
Senior Tanker Driver (Bourbon / Industrial)
$78,000–$118,000+ OT
Tanker hauler · bourbon transport + industrial chemical · X endorsement premium
Senior Flatbed Driver
$75,000–$118,000+ OT
Flatbed hauler · automotive components + steel + building materials · oversized load endorsement
Senior Owner-Operator (Independent)
$108,000–$185,000
O/O leased to KY carriers · self-employed · Schedule C + Section 179 truck depreciation
Senior Hazmat Driver
$82,000–$125,000+ OT
Hazmat endorsement · automotive paint + chemical + fuel · H endorsement
Senior Doubles/Triples Driver
$82,000–$118,000+ OT
Doubles + triples endorsement · UPS feeder + FedEx + LTL premium · T + N endorsement
Mid-Career CDL Driver (3-7 yrs)
$62,000–$82,000+ OT
Mid-career CDL-A driver · transitioning to senior route band
New CDL Driver (0-2 yrs)
$48,000–$65,000+ OT
New CDL-A driver · KY CDL training programs · entry band
Worth knowing: UPS Worldport Louisville generates massive Louisville-area truck driver demand for UPS feeder service connecting UPS Worldport to UPS regional ground hubs across the country — a feature most national truck-driver surveys understate for KY. UPS Worldport (the country's largest air cargo hub processing ~5M+ packages daily at peak with ~115 packages/second sorting capability) operates substantial UPS feeder driver network supporting ~25K total UPS Louisville employees with UPS Teamsters Local 89 representation — UPS feeder drivers (the largest-rig + most senior UPS driver class) clear $108-155K+ TC including UPS pension + benefits + substantial OT. Toyota Manufacturing Kentucky Georgetown logistics generate substantial JIT manufacturing freight (Toyota's ~$11B+ annual production supports approximately 30,000+ inbound parts trailers daily during peak production) supporting substantial dedicated Toyota inbound logistics. Ford Louisville Assembly + Kentucky Truck Plant generate similar JIT freight intensity (Ford's ~$30B+ KY annual production). The 2025 No Tax on Overtime federal deduction applies to non-exempt KY truck driver OT through 2028 — cap $12,500 single / $25,000 above-the-line. KY's flat 4% rate is substantially lower than OR/MN's 9.85-9.9% tops + KY Local Occupational Tax (Louisville 1.45-2.20%) catches Louisville-source wages. KY is RTW since 2017.
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More on Kentucky
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Kentucky in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Kentucky in 2026.
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