What was your biggest paycheck

I got some $2400 paychecks for a week pulling tanker. Delivered to San Fran from Nashville. Got 32 hours of detention, got 2 days of layover pay, and about 4800 miles.

 

I was being really generous with those miles. My last truck was set at 66MPH 64 cruise. There were days especially out west where I got very close to 620 miles. Most of the time my average daily miles were closer to 500.

 

For me it’s a lot of psychology that goes into how many miles I might drive. If I start early, like 3-4am and drive hammer down 5-7 hours non stop and don’t take a break, I’ll usually hammer out some good miles that day. If I’m dragging and I start a little later in the day and I might stop once or twice and take a cat nap or something like that I tend to get far less miles. It’s all about starting early and fast for me.

 

Grandpa always told me the best way to make money is in your pocket. Don't matter if you make $17K or $170K a year, most people are still going to be broke.

 

Saving money in a lot of ways is like kicking the smoking habit. It's a day by thing where you tell yourself you don't need to spend money or light up. I wore shoes until there were holes in them. I rarely bought impulse items. I have said this before when I opened my wallet to take out a bill you could hear a sucking sound! (NO pun intended) If you get the pun great, if not don't ask.

 

Biggest check after taxes for me was 1700, and I've been a career company driver. 1000 to 1200 is more of the norm these days but those big checks don't always come like that. At 40 cpm, it is possible, but not always likely. You can expect to see about 700 -900 weekly as a rookie, and that's not bad money. Once you get your experience, you can see about a 30 percent increase at minimum. Keep honing your skills and getting better there, that money will creep upward.

 

Just my humble opinion, but if I recall, you drive reefer? There’s been a dramatic uptick in the cents per mile trucking companies have had to pay to lure experienced drivers over the last 18 months. Those that don’t? Find themselves losing drivers right and left in their lot full of empty trucks with no one to drive them. 40cpm
Right now for reefer is way too low. Especially now that you’re experienced. Minimum should be 50cpm. I’d ask for a raise. No, I take that back...I’d demand a raise. Lol

 

Yeah, we do dry vans and reefers. I've actually been bumped up to 52 cpm. The company have the whole fleet raises last month. 50 cpm has definitely evolved to the norm over the last couple of years or so. At the very least, experienced drivers should be in the upper 40s in my mind. Now my number for the biggest check ever came after taxes and the dreaded child support lol.

 

My first fixer upper. Had about $70K in it, including the purchase price. Lived there almost 4 years, so no capital gains tax.

Walked away with $186K.

 

This was my biggest check, including a biannual bonus. I think I only worked 4 days that week.


This was my biggest check without a bonus. Worked 6 days and drove 3400 miles.