Truck driver salary in the Netherlands in 2026: CAO scales and 2027 talks

A truck driver in the Netherlands earns roughly 2,718 to 3,840 EUR gross per month in 2026, and a CE driver (the licence category for a truck with a trailer) typically starts in pay scale D at about 2,894 EUR, or 16.64 EUR/h. These scales come from the national road haulage CAO (cao, a collective labour agreement), whose wages rose 4% on 2026-01-01 according to CNV , and talks for the 2027 CAO opened on 2026-10-09. This guide covers the scale table, hourly and overtime pay, tax-free allowances, a gross-to-net example, the position of foreign drivers, and where the 2027 talks stand.

How much is a truck driver salary in the Netherlands in 2026?

The answer depends on the pay scale (loonschaal, in German Lohngruppe) and the step within it. Aggregators place drivers in scale C, D, or E, which gives the 2,718 to 3,840 EUR range: scale C starts at about 2,718 EUR and scale E tops out at about 3,840 EUR. One recruiter page places a CE driver in scale D from 2,893 EUR. Other pages quote an average near 3,153 EUR, and some still publish 2022 or 2024 figures, so treat any single number with care. It usually mixes scales, steps, and sometimes years.

Step progression matters as much as the scale. In scale D, six steps run from about 2,894 EUR to 3,520 EUR, a spread of 626 EUR or roughly 22% between the first and the last step. Whichever employer you join, ask which step the offer starts on, because the step moves your pay as much as the scale does.

The floor is set by law. The statutory minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over is 14.99 EUR/h from 2026-07-01, according to Rijksoverheid , the Dutch government. A scale D starter at 16.64 EUR/h earns about 11% above it. For the wider picture, see our truck driver salary by country in Europe .

What are the CAO pay scales (loonschalen) for drivers?

The CAO Beroepsgoederenvervoer is the collective agreement for Dutch road haulage, and the current one runs from 2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31, as the FNV CAO overview shows. The table below lists eight scales, A to H, with gross monthly pay for a 40-hour week from 2026-01-01.

Approximate figures from a single Dutch salary aggregator. Hourly rates divide the monthly amount by 173.92. The CAO document itself was not checked.

Most drivers sit in the middle of this table. Aggregator listings place drivers in scales C to E, and this guide did not map the other scales to specific roles. Ask your employer for the scale and the step in writing.

Two cautions apply. First, FNV lists wage tables dated both 2026-01-01 and 2026-07-01, so the lowest steps may differ from the table above. Second, the aggregator applies the statutory minimum to the lowest steps (A1, A2, and B1), which is why the first lines of the table can sit below the minimum wage.

What is the hourly rate for a Dutch truck driver, and how does overtime work?

The hourly rate runs from about 14.72 EUR/h at the bottom of scale A to about 28.89 EUR/h at the top of scale H, and a scale D starter earns 16.64 EUR/h. These numbers are monthly pay divided by 173.92 hours, the divisor the aggregator uses, so they are approximate.

Hourly rate and the statutory minimum

The minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over was 14.71 EUR/h from 2026-01-01 and rose to 14.99 EUR/h on 2026-07-01 ( Rijksoverheid ). Trans.info, citing TLN, puts the July rise at 1.9% ( Trans.info, 2026-06-25 ). A scale A starter at 14.72 EUR/h was only one cent above the January minimum and falls below the July minimum, so the law overrides the scale there. FNV lists a document titled "Mintreden 1 juli 2026", but its content was not read for this guide, so confirm the lowest steps against it.

Overtime and the 30% surcharge

Under the 2026 CAO, all hours above the contract hours per week count as overtime, and they carry a 30% surcharge ( CNV ). The definition is simple: the contract hours are the limit, not a fixed 40.

A worked example shows the effect. A scale D starter earns 16.64 EUR/h, and with the 30% surcharge each overtime hour pays about 21.63 EUR. Five overtime hours in one week add about 108 EUR gross. The same CNV page says the night allowance, which covers 21:00 to 05:00, can also be paid to non-drivers. This guide does not quote night or weekend surcharge rates, ADV days (extra days off), or holiday allowance, because those could not be confirmed from the CAO text.

What are the tax-free daily allowances (verblijfskosten)?

Verblijfskosten are the subsistence allowances a driver receives for days and nights away from home, and under the CAO they are paid net. TaxLive, republishing a TLN statement, reports that no wage tax or social premiums are withheld on the CAO verblijfskosten and that the tax authority's agreement on the exemption runs to the end of 2029 ( TaxLive, 2025-01-08 ).

This guide quotes no daily amount. The figures circulating online, including a "65 EUR net per day" recruiter estimate, could not be traced to the CAO. The FNV CAO overview lists a verblijfskosten document dated 2025-01-01, and that document holds the real amounts. Ask your employer for the current figure in writing.

The allowance changes the maths of any offer. Because it is net, a driver comparing a Dutch contract with a German one should compare it with Spesen, the German tax-free per-diem, as explained in our guide to daily allowances in Germany . A lower gross with a higher net allowance can leave more money in the pocket.

What does a Netherlands truck driver salary look like after tax?

A scale D starter on 2,894 EUR gross per month ends up with roughly 1,860 to 2,600 EUR net, before pension and personal circumstances. The width of that range comes from two tax credits whose size depends on income, and the arithmetic below shows both ends.

The 2026 rates for box 1 (taxable income from work) are 35.70% up to 38,883 EUR, 37.56% up to 79,137 EUR, and 49.5% above that, according to SRA , an accountancy body. The same source gives a maximum general tax credit of 3,115 EUR and a maximum labour credit of 5,712 EUR.

Here is the example, using base salary only:

• Annual gross: 2,894 EUR x 12 = 34,728 EUR, which sits fully in the first bracket.
• Tax before credits: 34,728 EUR x 35.70% = about 12,398 EUR per year, or 1,033 EUR per month. Net before credits: about 1,861 EUR per month.
• Tax if both credits were at their maximum: 12,398 EUR minus 8,827 EUR = about 3,571 EUR per year, or 298 EUR per month. Net: about 2,596 EUR per month.

The true figure lies between the two. Both credits shrink as income rises, so a calculator that uses your personal situation will land inside this range. Pension contributions, any collective deductions, and holiday allowance are not included, so this is an illustration and not a take-home promise. Verblijfskosten come on top, untaxed.

Do foreign drivers get the same pay as Dutch drivers?

Whether a foreign driver gets the CAO scale depends on who employs them and where they drive, and this guide cannot settle that for an individual contract. Two situations are common, and they differ.

A driver who signs a contract with a Dutch employer will normally see a CAO scale in the offer, and the table above is the reference. A driver employed by a Polish, Romanian, or other non-Dutch company and sent to the Netherlands falls under the posting rules, which apply a host country's minimum pay terms to workers who work there temporarily.

Trans.info reported on 2026-06-25 that under the Mobility Package, cabotage (domestic transport inside a country by a carrier from another country) and cross-trade (transport between two countries other than the carrier's home country) count as posting. Bilateral and transit operations generally do not ( Trans.info ). A Polish carrier running Poznan to Rotterdam and back is generally not posting. The same carrier collecting in Rotterdam and delivering in Utrecht is doing cabotage and is. The article ties the 14.99 EUR/h minimum to posted drivers and advises keeping tachograph records. Check the details against Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 and the Dutch implementation.

Three things remain unverified here: how strictly the Dutch inspectorates enforce these rules in 2026, how the CAO wage applies to agency staff, and the work-permit rules for non-EU drivers. Ukrainian drivers should start with our guide to non-EU driver jobs in Europe . Polish and Romanian readers can set the numbers against Poland vs Western Europe pay .

Before you accept a Dutch offer, ask for these points in writing:

• The scale and the step the offer is based on.
• The contract hours per week, since overtime starts above them.
• The daily verblijfskosten amount and whether it is paid on top of salary.
• How the pension-system change on 2027-01-01 affects your deductions.

What is the status of the 2027 CAO talks?

Talks for the 2027 CAO opened on Friday 2026-10-09, with the unions CNV, FNV, and De Unie facing the employer bodies TLN and VVT, and the second round is on 2026-10-30 ( CNV, 2026-10-12 ). The current CAO expires on 2026-12-31, so no agreed wage terms exist yet for 2027.

The one-year term of the 2026 deal has a reason. The sector moves to a new pension system on 2027-01-01, and the short term was tied to that move ( CNV, 2025-10-29 ). That deal was reached on 2025-10-28 and was a minimum-provisions CAO, without the 80/90/100 scheme.

CNV's 2027 agenda includes a generation pact and a four-day week on a full-time contract. It also wants a "minimum cao" and warns that an 80/90/100 scheme, a reduced-hours model, would cut net income by 30% or more. No 2027 wage figure appears on the union pages reviewed, and the TLN and VVT positions were not published on the CNV page. Any figure that circulates before a deal is a demand, not a result.

For drivers, the practical rule is to budget on the 2026 scale until a deal exists. Employers should ask their advisers how the pension change on 2027-01-01 affects labour cost, and our guide to the Dutch truck toll covers the other new cost line. Watch the 2026-10-30 round.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a truck driver make in the Netherlands?

In 2026, a Dutch truck driver earns roughly 2,718 to 3,840 EUR gross per month under the CAO scales, which are approximate. A CE driver in scale D starts at about 2,894 EUR. Allowances come on top and are paid net.

What is the CAO for road transport?

The CAO Beroepsgoederenvervoer is the collective labour agreement for Dutch road haulage. It sets the pay scales and overtime, plus the allowance rules. The current agreement runs from 2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31 and raised wages by 4% on its first day.

How much is the hourly wage of a truck driver in the Netherlands?

A scale D starter earns about 16.64 EUR/h, and the scales span about 14.72 EUR/h to 28.89 EUR/h. The statutory minimum is 14.99 EUR/h from 2026-07-01. Overtime adds a 30% surcharge, so a scale D starter earns about 21.63 EUR for each overtime hour.

Do truck drivers get a daily allowance in the Netherlands?

Yes. Verblijfskosten under the CAO are paid net, with no wage tax or premiums withheld, and the tax agreement covering them runs to the end of 2029. The daily amounts are in the verblijfskosten document on the FNV and TLN CAO pages.

Is the Netherlands good for truck drivers?

Scale D starts about 11% above the statutory minimum, and the CAO allowances are tax-free, which helps net income. Whether the total beats Germany or Poland depends on your contract, your family situation, and time away from home. Compare the scale table above with your home-market offer before deciding.

When does the next CAO take effect?

The current CAO expires on 2026-12-31. The 2027 talks opened on 2026-10-09 and the second round is on 2026-10-30. No outcome exists yet, so the 2026 scale stays the reference until a deal is signed.

Looking for steady European freight with fair, transparent payment terms? Join the Logifie carrier network