% pay means you get a certain percentage of what the load pays to the company that delivers it. In your example if the load pays the company $1000 than you would receive $260 before taxes.
I once had the option of straight 27.5%, or 25% with vacation and holiday pay. Both choices came with health insurance and pension.
I started at a company under the knowledge that I would be paid 28% of the gross it was later changed to 28% of the net.....big difference
Yup, you always have to ask yourself, percentage of what. I was running flatbed for 20% of gross. While this seems like a low percentage (and is) the company did not run any freight under 2.00 a mile, and most was more than that. So I was home every weekend and taking home 800-1400 per week. Good money for the work. Try and get an idea of what rates the company charges before you sign on. And find out if you are getting paid percentage of net or of Gross. Also an important point is if the company has a brokerage. This is a good way to get screwed, since they will low ball the rate to there trucking company and only pay you a percentage of that.