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Penske Jobs: Driver Pay, Requirements, and Reviews

Penske is one of the leading transportation firms in the United States. Since 1969, the business has grown from a three-location rental and lease firm to a multibillion-dollar company with locations across the globe and more than 10,000 drivers.

There are many reasons to consider Penske when choosing your next truck driving role. For starters, it’s well-respected throughout the country. To commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary in 2019, the Pennsylvania State Senate declared December 1 as Penske Truck Leasing Day. Penske is also known for its commitment to driver safety and is helping to protect the planet’s future by expanding its fleet of electric trucks and adding charging stations to many of its locations.

The business has been included on the Women in Trucking association’s list of Top Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation several years in a row and was also named a 2021 Military Friendly Employer in recognition of its commitment to creating employment opportunities for veterans.

Read on to learn about Penske’s truck driver jobs, including information about salaries, benefits, training, employee reviews, and more.

Types of Penske Truck Driving Jobs

Penske has a wide variety of flexible career options available for truck drivers. The company runs two main transportation services that hire truckers.

Penske Truck Rental

Through this business arm, Penske leases trucks to hundreds of local and national businesses and hires drivers to transport the vehicles between the company’s facilities and customer locations. These are typically local or regional positions, and drivers return home daily.

Penske Logistics

Penske also provides dedicated supply chain solutions to some of the world’s leading brands in the automotive, consumer products, food and beverage, healthcare, and retail industries. In 2020, Penske Logistics had revenues of $3.2 billion and was ranked among the top 20 for-hire trucking companies by industry publication Transport Topics.

Drivers working for Penske Logistics take on more typical truck driving roles, with several different ways to work:

  • Locally or regionally: Transporting items from local distribution outlets to retailers or production facilities and returning home daily
  • Over-the-road: Transporting freight from distribution centers to local distribution outlets and generally returning home one night per workweek and on weekends
  • Shuttle routes: Moving parts between local plants and returning home daily

Drivers can also choose to work specifically with no-touch freight, hazmat materials, on a part-time basis, and more.

Penske Driver Pay

With so many different types of truck driving jobs at Penske, the salaries can vary, too. Many truck drivers are paid hourly, though some receive compensation based on the miles driven and the number of stops. Drivers also sometimes earn additional amounts for delays, overtime, and extra travel—again, this depends on the role and route.

In 2021, the average annual salary for a heavy truck driver was $50,340 ($24.20 per hour), which is quite a bit lower than Indeed’s calculated average of $72,856 per year (based on 522 salaries) for Penske truck drivers.

Glassdoor members report Penske salaries, ranging from $24,000 for a shuttle driver and up to over $80,000 for a CDL A driver.

Penske Perks and Benefits

As well as a competitive salary, Penske offers its drivers a wide range of other perks and benefits, too. These include:

  • Sign-on bonuses of up to $10,000
  • Medical coverage (including vision and pharmacy coverage)
  • Life insurance (employee, spouse, and children)
  • Paid holidays and vacations
  • Short- and long-term disability
  • Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts
  • Retirement savings plan
  • Safety and performance bonuses
  • Employee discounts
  • Driver referral bonuses
  • Wellness benefits, including a personal health coach program, 24-hour nurse advice line, and incentives
  • Significant home time (daily for most drivers)

The company makes sure its drivers stay safe on the road via its Penske Driver™ mobile app. Through the app, drivers can report roadside problems such as flat tires quickly and easily to Penske Truck Leasing’s 24/7 Roadside Assistance team without ever making a call or being stuck on hold. They get a place in line for assistance, with real-time digital updates until the issue is resolved. The app also allows drivers to:

  • Log hours of service and comply with the ELD mandate
  • Locate Penske service, rental, and fuel locations
  • Find truck stops, CNG stations, and public scales
  • Access essential vehicle information, including recent service history
  • Digitally submit fuel receipts to eliminate paperwork

Requirements for Penske Truck Drivers

With a well-established reputation to uphold, Penske insists its drivers meet a high standard and experience level. To qualify for most of its truck driver positions, successful candidates must:

  • Have a commercial driver’s license (CDL Class A or B, dependent on the role)
  • Have one year of tractor-trailer driving experience in the last three years or two years of experience in the last five years
  • Have a clean driving record with two or fewer moving violations or accidents in the past three years
  • Complete and pass a DOT physical, DOT drug screening, and a background screening (including criminal history check)

In addition to the above, Penske also asks that their drivers be reliable, have excellent customer service skills, be focused on safety, and be willing to travel (if necessary, for the role).

While Penske doesn’t offer a CDL training school for those new to driving, it focuses on providing ongoing driver education for existing employees and encourages its drivers to attend training and safety seminars regularly. It also utilizes specialized training from the Smith System, a leading provider of collision avoidance driver training. Developed over 60 years ago, the Smith System focuses on preventing accidents by teaching avoidance techniques and having drivers practice them consistently.

If you don’t yet have a CDL, there may still be a role available for you at the company. Penske offers non-CDL driving positions, which typically cover local routes and office assignments, such as delivering medical products to clinics, hospitals, and warehouses. You will need a Class C driver’s license to work in this position.

Application Information for Penske Drivers

If you like the thought of working as a truck driver for Penske and want to apply for a position, you can find a full list of openings on their website. If your application is successful at this stage, you’ll be contacted by a Penske recruitment agent for an interview to confirm your driving history, work history, and criminal background checks. You may then be invited for a second round of interviews with management.

Some reports from past interviewees note that the process can take a while, with delays of up to two or three months between their initial interview and being hired—though most say the process takes under a month.

“I applied online,” says one former driver on Glassdoor. “The process took 4 weeks. Applied online, contacted by a recruiter who discussed the position and answered my questions, scheduled for an interview and road test, sent for a drug screen, and basically went to work.”

Penske Reviews of Truck Driving Jobs

Overall, reports from and former Penske drivers are positive, praising the high salaries, frequent home time, and steady hours, as well as the range of benefits and perks on offer. Below, we’ve collated a few reviews to give you a better idea of what to expect if you decide to join the company.

One employee on Glassdoor praises the pay and ease of the job, but notes that the hours can be long: “Awesome job, best trucking job I’ve ever had. Pay is excellent, job is easy, especially compared to other companies. The bosses leave you alone for the most part. Get your deliveries done and don’t hit anything, you’re golden. Electric jack for the job. Again this job is easy, and they pay well for what’s expected. 90% of the time you’re given the proper equipment for the run, (trailer size) if you can’t make it bring it back. The bosses are mostly pretty easy going. Decent group of people working here, fairly happy environment. You can say NO if you don’t think driving in certain conditions is a good idea. Cons? New guys, just bear with the crazy schedule, it gets better over time. The hours can be tough. Runs start anywhere from 11pm to 6am. There are some afternoon runs. Naturally don’t make any plans after work. Some places you will sweat and stress backing in, it’s a wee bit tight, just relax, you’ll be fine. They will try to convince you to go out in the weather.”

A former Penske driver writing on Reddit has this to say about their experience: “Just want to say, that while Penske didn’t pay the highest it was by far the best company I’ve ever worked for. I was there for 7 years. I’d still be there but the warehouse that the contract we were doing moved and I wasn’t willing to drive 80 miles to and from work every day.”

“I started out as a switcher driver moving trailers at Coldwater, MI warehouse, then as a route driver, leaving on Sunday and return on Friday,” explains another driver. “Penske overall was a good company to work for with good benefits.”

A employee and reviewer on Indeed notes that raises are not regular at the company. “It’s a routine truck driving job that I perform. I’ve been working with a company for three years and have not received a raise. The benefits are decent. They are very flexible with time off. Otherwise, it’s a decent job.”