Belgium truck driver salary per month in 2026: the PC 140.03 scale explained

A Belgian truck driver covered by Joint Committee 140.03 (PC 140.03, the sector body whose collective agreements set minimum wages for driving staff) earns a minimum of about 2,458 EUR to 2,603 EUR gross per month in 2026, which is 14.9255 EUR to 15.8075 EUR per hour on a 38-hour week (the monthly figures are our calculation from the hourly scale). The minimums rose by 2.18% on 2026-01-01, according to the FPS Employment info sheet for PC 140.03 , last updated 2026-01-16. This guide covers the full R1 to R4 table, how a driver lands on a level, how yearly indexation works, and how much of the gross wage the worker social security contribution takes.

What is the PC 140.03 minimum scale for Belgian truck drivers in 2026?

The scale has four levels, R1 to R4, and each carries a fixed gross hourly minimum for a 38-hour effective working week. The hourly values come from the FPS Employment sheet and match the figures reported by Jobfunders . The monthly column is our calculation.

The monthly figure is 38 hours x 52 weeks / 12 = 164.67 hours per month, multiplied by the hourly rate (we used the unrounded hours). It is the scale minimum only. Allowances, supplements and bonuses are not in it, and an employer may pay more. A driver who already earns above the new minimum keeps the higher wage, and that wage is indexed too, as Securex explained when the classification started.

A second regime exists: 39 hours a week with six compensation days. ACLVB listed R1 at 14.2325 EUR for it in 2025, against 14.6070 EUR under the 38-hour regime. This guide uses the 38-hour values throughout because those are the ones we could verify for 2026.

How does the points system decide R1, R2, R3 or R4?

A driver's level depends on a score across 10 criteria, not on job title or years behind the wheel. The classification came from a collective agreement of 2022-11-17 and applies from 2023-01-01, per Securex. The criteria are:

• type of driving licence
• autonomy and planning
• number of delivery addresses per day
• physical effort
• tools and technical applications
• cargo checking
• complexity of loading and unloading
• technical and regulatory knowledge
• ancillary tasks
• mentoring of colleagues

The total decides the level: 10-14 points gives R1, 15-18 gives R2, 19-25 gives R3, and 26-36 gives R4. The employer scores the criteria, not the driver. A multi-drop distribution driver who handles many addresses, checks cargo and coaches new colleagues can collect points on criteria that a fixed-route shuttle driver may barely touch. If your level looks low, ask how each criterion was scored.

The steps between levels are uneven. R1 to R2 adds 0.5235 EUR per hour, about 86 EUR gross per month. R2 to R3 and R3 to R4 add about 0.18 EUR per hour each, roughly 30 EUR a month per step. R4 sits 0.882 EUR per hour (about 145 EUR a month) above R1.

The ratios between levels have not moved since the start. Securex lists the 2023 base values as 12.4820 EUR for R1 and 13.22 EUR for R4, and in both years R4 is 5.9% above R1 (our calculation). That is why one indexation percentage lifts all four levels together.

How does indexation change the PC 140.03 scale each year?

The scale is indexed on 1 January, and both recent adjustments followed that date. ACLVB records 3.57% on 2025-01-01, and the FPS Employment sheet reflects 2.18% on 2026-01-01. A quick check confirms the 2026 step: 14.6070 EUR x 1.0218 = 14.9254 EUR, which matches the published R1 of 14.9255 EUR once rounding is allowed for.

For an R1 driver, the 2026 indexation added 0.3185 EUR per hour, or about 52 EUR gross per month at 164.67 hours (our calculation). That is a smaller step than the 3.57% of 2025, but it applies to every hour worked.

The next adjustment is expected at the start of 2027 if the 1 January pattern of 2025 and 2026 holds. We do not quote a 2027 percentage, because no final figure exists yet and published forecasts are provisional. Treat any forecast as provisional until the index is confirmed.

How much of the gross wage is left after RSZ?

A driver keeps about 86% of the gross wage after the worker social security contribution (our calculation, before tax). The rate is 13.07%, and for blue-collar workers such as drivers it is charged on 108% of the gross wage, which is why the deduction is larger than 13.07% of gross. The National Social Security Office describes the 108% base, and the ACV 2026 checklist gives the 13.07% rate. RSZ is the Dutch abbreviation for this contribution, NSSO the English one.

Worked example for an R2 driver

The figures below are our own indicative arithmetic, not an official payslip. Take the R2 monthly minimum of 2,543.94 EUR gross.

1. Contribution base: 2,543.94 EUR x 108% = 2,747.46 EUR.
2. Worker RSZ: 2,747.46 EUR x 13.07% = 359.09 EUR.
3. Gross minus RSZ: 2,543.94 EUR - 359.09 EUR = 2,184.85 EUR.

The ACV checklist splits the 13.07% into pensions 7.50%, health care 3.55%, unemployment 0.87%, and sickness and invalidity benefits 1.15%. On the R2 base that is about 206.06 EUR, 97.53 EUR, 23.90 EUR and 31.60 EUR.

Gross minus RSZ for all four levels

Which rules and extras sit on top of the scale?

The scale is a floor for ordinary hours, and several rules change what a driver is actually paid. The standby, student, mixed category and new employee rules below come from Jobfunders' summary of PC 140.03, and the overnight stay rule comes from the FPS Employment sheet.

• Standby time is paid at 99% of the minimum wage, according to Jobfunders.
• Student workers receive at least 90% of the hourly wage, per the same source.
• Mixed categories: when a driver works across tonnage categories, the highest applicable wage applies if they spend at least 50% of daily time in that category.
• New employees get the rate of the vehicle category they drive after six months, or after three months if they completed the VDAB truck-driver course (VDAB is the Flemish public employment service).
• Overnight stays: the FPS Employment sheet says a fixed stay is paid as a flat wage equal to eight working hours.

We deliberately publish no euro amounts for the overnight allowance (verblijfsvergoeding), night premium, Sunday and holiday supplements, seniority supplement, end-of-year bonus or ecocheques. We could not confirm their 2026 values, and an invented figure is worse than none. Check them in the FPS sheet or with a payroll provider. Our guide to the daily allowance for drivers in Europe explains how allowances differ from wages across countries.

Working time also shapes monthly pay. Weekend and holiday restrictions limit how many hours a driver can run, so read the Belgium truck driving ban rules alongside the scale.

Do real Belgian driver wages sit above the minimum scale?

Reported market pay sits above the scale. Indeed Belgium shows an average of 17.20 EUR per hour from 637 reported wages (updated 2026-10-19). That is 1.3925 EUR, or 8.8%, above the R4 minimum, and about 2,832 EUR gross per month at 164.67 hours (our calculation). The data is self-reported and mixes employers, so read it as a market signal, not a rate.

WageIndicator gives gross monthly ranges for a 38-hour week in 2026: 2,484-3,197 EUR at the start of a career, 2,654-3,427 EUR after five years, and 2,484-3,841 EUR overall. It does not state a sample size, and its numbers are also self-reported.

Put next to the scale, the picture is consistent. The R1 minimum of 2,457.73 EUR sits just below the bottom of WageIndicator's starting range, and the R4 minimum of 2,602.97 EUR falls inside it. The sector minimum is a floor, and employers who recruit in a tight driver market pay above it.

For hauliers, wages are one cost line next to others, such as the Belgian truck toll rules for 2026. To see how Belgium compares with other markets, read our country-by-country truck driver salary guide and the breakdown of Poland versus Western Europe driver pay .

Frequently asked questions

How much does a truck driver earn in Belgium?

Under the PC 140.03 minimum scale, a driver earns 14.9255 to 15.8075 EUR gross per hour in 2026. That is about 2,458 to 2,603 EUR gross per month on a 38-hour week (our calculation). Self-reported market data is higher: WageIndicator shows 2,484 to 3,841 EUR gross per month overall.

What is the minimum wage of a driver in PC 140.03?

The lowest level, R1, pays 14.9255 EUR gross per hour in 2026 for 10 to 14 classification points. R2 pays 15.4490 EUR, R3 pays 15.6285 EUR, and R4 pays 15.8075 EUR. An employer may not pay a driver below the level that driver's score earns.

What is the hourly wage of a truck driver in Belgium?

The scale minimum runs from 14.9255 EUR to 15.8075 EUR gross per hour. Indeed Belgium reports an average of 17.20 EUR per hour from 637 self-reported wages, so real hourly pay often sits above the minimum.

When is PC 140.03 indexed?

The scale was indexed on 1 January in both 2025 and 2026. The 2025 adjustment was 3.57% and the 2026 adjustment was 2.18%. The percentage for 2027 is not final, so we do not quote one.

What is the difference between R1, R2, R3 and R4?

The levels reflect a points score across 10 criteria such as autonomy, delivery addresses per day and cargo checking. R1 covers 10-14 points, R2 15-18, R3 19-25 and R4 26-36. The largest jump is R1 to R2, about 86 EUR gross per month.

Is gross minus RSZ my take-home pay?

No. Worker RSZ is 13.07% on 108% of gross for drivers, and the result is still before withholding tax. We have not verified current withholding tax or work bonus amounts, so use an official calculator for a net figure.

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