Why are otr drivers paid by cents per mile as opposed to a regular hourly wage?

there are provisions at certain companies that pay 1.5 your mileage rate for "overtime". mileage is only good if you are getting guaraunteed, practical to run, miles. Anything less than about 44 cpm is an insult, and I hope that those are plentiful, EASY miles, too.

Hourly can screw you as well though, if you are under the gun to run as fast as possible, and you are being paid 17-18 dollars an hour, you are really only making in the mid 30 cpm range, if you are on a consistent run and your only job is to drive ( a few bottomfeeder ltl outfits do this, it looks good until you realize that you only make as much money as a city driver, and you have to stay up and hammer down all night, while guys are passing you making another 12 dollars an hour, basically.)

 

How is that an exagerration? You are away from home 24/7 for 2 months at a time. So by definition you are not at home, you are at work! Not working means you can as you please, be with your family, drink a beer etc... None of this can be done as an over the road driver!

 

I'd rather be paid percentage rather than per mile, but i enjoy my salary pay

 

With all due respect,

When I was over the road, I only counted my work hours as time i was on the road or on line 4. I did not count line 1 or 2 since i wasn't working, i was on break.

 

we are paid mileage when driving and hourly when bottom line...best way to get paid ,cant lose

 

That ain't a bad way to get paid too

 

gotta agree with chompi

once you are away from home, you are working

we work in our sleep

dont believe me? let your load or trailer get stolen and you tell your boss, not my problem, i was sleep

compared to someone working at walmart and the store gets broken into, he can actually say, not my problem, i was sleep and no one would blame him

 

I understand where yall are coming from, i just personally dont consider sleeping as work. If im off duty or in sleeper i just dont see it as work. That's just me though

 

Well the driver also loses that four hours .Although a driver stuck in traffic isn't technically rolling,he or she is still "babysitting" the truck.

 

so basically, the employees feel its better to screw the driver than to pay the driver for driving

if he is sitting in the truck for four hours delivering your freight, why would you not pay the man?