How Many Miles Does a Semi Truck Typically Drive?

We all know semi trucks can log some incredible hours as they operate throughout their lifecycle.

Whether it be OTR, local or regional, most trucks are in operation for most of the day leading to extremely high miles that in some cases dwarf that of a typical car.

Below, we’ll look at how many miles a semi truck travels and what the factors are that determine how many miles it can log.

OTR driving generally involves the highest miles of any route type.

Different Route Types

Semi trucks are generally used for three different types of routes and generally come with different mileage needs. These include OTR(Over The Road), local, and regional.

OTR Semi Truck Routes

OTR driving can include any point-to-point driving within the 48 states, so essentially across the country. Some OTR drivers may stay in a specific region due to the company they work for, but it still covers several states.

Local Semi Truck Routes

These routes are usually when a truck is owned by a company. The truck generally stays within 250 miles of the hub or origin point.

Regional Semi Truck Routes

This covers several states, for example, the west coast. Regional driving usually has higher mileage than local.

How Many Miles Does A Semi Truck Drive Per Day?

With one driver, the maximum amount a semi truck can travel is up to about 650 miles per day, although this is mostly under perfect conditions and is considered the upper limit.

Traffic, weather, stops, and other delays can lower this to a realistic rate that is closer to 500 miles per day if all legal regulations are followed by the driver.

However, this is using the maximum daily driving time allowed under federal regulations, which is 11 hours.

This comes out to about 2500 miles per week for one driver operating one semi truck. But once again, that’s at the top end of driving with minimal downtime and optimum conditions.

The average mileage for a semi truck is about 45,000 miles per year. The total lifespan of a truck is expected to be 750,000 miles. Although, some trucks may last longer.

This means a new truck will generally last 15 years if properly maintained and driven the typical number of miles.

Driver Regulations On Mileage

The mileage a truck can log per day and how many hours/miles a driver legally can are two separate things.

A truck can theoretically operate 24 hours a day if there are enough drivers to operate it. But a single driver must adhere to federal guidelines as well as any company guidelines if they are working for a carrier.

The most common regulation limits drivers to 11 hours at the wheel before they are required to take 10 hours off. There are other regulations that limit the total time per day and per week. 

Finally, there are exceptions when driving times are slower or mileage is lower, such as during bad weather. These circumstances can sometimes allow for exceptions to other regulations.

More Information About Semi Truck Operations 

If you’re a first time semi truck buyer looking to finance your own truck and start logging some serious miles, contact our experts at 10-4 Financing today.

Regardless of the type of driving you intend on doing, we can help finance your next truck and get you on the road faster than anyone else.