How much should an OTR driver earn? Here's my opinion!

$52,000.00 / Year # $0.37 / Mile = 140,540.5 Miles Good luck doing that as a SOLO driver.

 

And throw winter into the mix too. (remember last winter?)

 

Yes it was FUN along with summer delays for road construction , vacationer traffic , screwups at shippers / recievers , truck / trailer problems , and find someone who really wants to work 52 weeks straight.

 

If I am at my work station, expected to be ready to perform my job at any time, I should be paid for my time. Now if my employer says I am not allowed to go home after my shift is over and I am required to sleep 2 feet from my work station, and restricts my OFF DUTY activities as well, I SHOULD BE PAID!!! (Don't even get my started about excessive idle time while sleeping either! I don't go to my boss and demand that he turn down the heat or a/c in his office while working or at his home when off. But it is okay to impose such Bravo Sierra on me??????)

On the other side of the argument, however :

Most OTR drivers WORK and drive 100 hours a week, or about 14 hours a day. At $52k/year, that translates to $10/hour. Admittedly we are not paid for all the WORK we perform,only the driving part. (To me that is thievery!)

Question: how many of us would abandon our truck driving jobs to get two full time jobs?

Answer : VERY FEW!!! why not??? You are already working more hours than two full time jobs.

I guess I'm not sure which side of this issue I am on.
But I can tell you this without a doubt, this system of pay per mile sucks!!!
Driving OTR sucks!!!

Unless you like being underpaid, being chained to a steering wheel, used and abused by your company, shippers and recievers, law enforcement, and society at large, and don't want/need a social life or family life, I strongly recommend STAY AWAY FROM OTR TRUCKING!!!

(I got my asbestos britches on, so go ahead and flame me!)

 

You can't do 140,000 miles a year??????


I hope that doesn't happen to me when I get old.



I'm on track to do 135,000-140,000 miles this year, and we do allot of ltl or I'd have more miles.



Baritone the millis driver on here just did 145,000 his first year






American Trucker

 

You are not on duty when you are in your sleeper. Your carrier doesn't expect you to be ready to work at a moments notice. You are not forced to sleep in your company provided sleeper. Most carriers will not prevent you from getting a motel room at your own expense. Perhaps carriers should start charging drivers for their sleeper berth. They could rent it to drivers by the hour.

Most carriers expect drivers to be comfortable when they are trying to get their rest. Many idle their trucks whether it is necessary or not. When I drive I don't idle unless it is necessary for me to be comfortable. I can't tell you the number of times when the weather has been comfortable and drivers still idle their trucks. Often it is necessary to idle to be comfortable, but unless you are in the truck there is no need to run the engine. There is usually no reason for a driver to average more than 30% idle time most times of the year. And you don't really want to tell the guy who writes your paycheck what he can or can't do.

For those of you who feel you are under paid and want to be compensated for sleeping or playing on the internet in your company paid sleeper, I have a very simple solution for you. You can buy your own truck, get your authority, find your own freight and then you can charge what you want. If you want to be paid for sleeping then include it in your rate. If you want to be paid for eating, taking a shower or going to the toilet, then include it in your rate.

When you came into this business you knew what you would be paid and at what rate. You accepted the terms of employment and have likely been paid as agreed. You don't have to stay with your current carrier, nor do you have to stay in this industry. I am sure that you can turn in your keys and find something that pays more and you can stay home. Those who complain the loudest have often used McDonald's as a good alternative in pay. Well, there are thousands of McDonald's that need workers. There are also other fast food restaurants. I have no doubt that you can find something at these restaurants. I would not expect them to pay you for sleeping, however. You can punch the clock and be paid for every minute you are working. So what if you have to work 2 or 3 shifts to make the same amount of money. Perhaps they will pay you to sit or sleep. Sometimes they need to call workers in to fill in when someone fails to show up for work. Perhaps they will pay you for being on call, too.

 

And how many days did you have off this year?
You are making alot of money, have you had any time to enjoy life???

Money isn't everything!
Don't take this as an insult!

But it took me till I was 40 to realize that. By then it was too late!
The best years of my life were gone and I had nothing to show for all my hard work, numerous health problems , a failed marriage, kids that either hated me or didn't know who I was.

AT, I hope that doesn't happen to you! Trucking just isn't worth it.

 

There are a number of factors which determine the number of miles you can drive in a year. If you are mostly running coast to coast, you will most likely be able to drive more miles than those who run the east coast. Higher speeds and less traffic is one reason. Running coast to coast will also minimize the time you spend loading or unloading. Most drivers should average about 550 miles per day when you look at the entire year. Most will take a few days off now and then. There will also be slow times of the year where you won't have as many miles to drive. It is possible to run 3,000+ miles per week, but you will likely run coast to coast or won't be taking much time off from your work.

Life is a trade off. Whether it is trucking or something else, if you want the bigger paycheck you will usually spend less time at home or on leisure activities and more time at work. If you want more home time then expect a smaller paycheck. Most executives spend a lot of time working. Not all of their work is spent at the office, but they usually spend a lot of time earning money rather than spending it. They sacrifice time with their families to provide a higher standard of living. It is a trade off. If you want the bigger paycheck in this business it will usually require that you spend more time on the road and less time at home.

You can go back to school and get a degree. You will often be in the same situation where you are working longer hours to provide an above average income for your family. As you rise in the organization you may find that you will be spending time traveling in a car or plane rather than a truck. You probably won't be paid for sleeping in a hotel room nor will you usually be paid for entertaining, eating or taking a shower.

Life is about making choices. Most employers discuss upfront the expectations and requirements of any position for which you apply before taking the job. If you take the job and your employer pays you as agreed, you don't have any grounds to complain. As previously stated. If you don't like the way you are treated, pay or any other problems with your job you can quit. You can find another company. You can start your own company. If you start your own company, providing it is a motor carrier, you can make the decision as to what rate you will charge and if you hire drivers you can decide whether you are willing to pay your driver the way you feel you should be compensated. When you are the boss, you are free to pay your drivers anything you wish. You can pay them for sitting, eating, taking a shower, going to the toilet or anything else. It is your business and your money. All you need to do is find a way to pay a driver for all those unproductive hours.

 

Pay is one of the reasons the turnover rate is so high. What they were told and what they actually make are two different things. The perdiem joke is deceiving and doesn't nearly cover the added cost of living on the road. Drivers are making $20-80K. That's one heck of a gap for a similar job. It's how some companies can beat drivers to be more profitable versus legit companies. CareerBuilderdotcom salary guide says the average OTR driver makes $32K. Real good pay for an 70+ work week with all the sacrifices Dave says.

 

I hope that doesn't happen to me when I get old. Come do what I do and see if you can get those miles , but then I do not live in a truck and haul freight.

But then at your AGE I was not already a auto mechanic , aircraft tech , financial genius so I had to do it.

And your company per truck average is below 100,000 miles per year in 2010 , mine is at 120,580