Class A drivers face a meaningful choice in equipment specialization: tanker, flatbed, or dry van. Each has distinct pay, physical demand, and lifestyle profiles. The right choice depends on your goals, your physical condition, and your tolerance for additional credentialing.
Dry van
The default freight category — enclosed trailers carrying boxed and palletized goods. Dry van requires no additional endorsements beyond a base Class A. Loading and unloading are typically done by the shipper or a lumper service (drivers rarely touch freight). Pay: $54,000 to $72,000 annually for OTR, $48,000 to $65,000 for regional. The most accessible entry point into trucking, but among the lowest-paying specialty categories.
Flatbed
Open-deck trailers carrying steel coils, lumber, machinery, building materials. Flatbed requires no endorsements but does require physical labor — every load must be tarped and secured with chains, binders, and straps by the driver, often in adverse weather. Pay: $62,000 to $82,000 annually for OTR (premium for the physical labor), $58,000 to $75,000 for regional. Many flatbed drivers cite the variety and the satisfaction of "real work" as reasons they prefer it over dry van.
Tanker
Liquid or bulk loads — fuel, chemicals, food-grade liquids, dry bulk. Requires the Tank (N) endorsement, often combined with Hazmat (H) for the "X" combo. Loading and unloading are highly procedural (no physical labor with the load itself, but extensive paperwork and pump operations). Pay: $68,000 to $95,000 annually for OTR, $72,000 to $110,000 for local fuel hauling. The highest-paying daily-home-time category in trucking.
Recommendation
Start with dry van if you're brand new — least to learn, easiest to find work. Add flatbed if you want premium pay and don't mind physical work. Add tanker (with Hazmat) if you want the highest pay and don't mind the additional credentialing. Read our Hazmat vs. Tank guide for the endorsement breakdown.