Historical per mile pay

I'll admit that I didn't read the entire thread, but this stands out. I can't believe that in 2025 there's a company paying only .34cpm. I started trucking back in 1989, and my first company paid .23cpm.

 

And if not picking or delivering in an industrial park, will likely end up in the worst parts of any major city or metropolitan area.

 

I started in 2010 making 29 cpm at Western Express. I got a year in, then was making 38 cpm with the now-defunct Builders Transportation. Now I make 60 cpm which is in the market range if you're going to drive for a long haul OTR company. I didn't really care much about cpm as long as it was in the market range. What tells the story is whether company actually has freight and can keep you busy. Western pays low, but they make up for it with lot of miles, at least in my experience. Some people will say Climate Express pays low....I suppose so. I think it's average, but they also make up for it by dishing out big miles. The aforementioned accessory pay, that also can make a difference. That's one of the advantages of working for a company like Walmart. You don't really run big miles, but they pay you for everything according to my friend who used to work there. Marten was mentioned earlier, that's another good example. It really just depends on each driver's individual trucking philosophy and what they prefer. Me personally, I could give up accessory pay if they can pony up the miles. 37 cpm though, is probably in line of what a new driver makes, but I actually think the market for new drivers is in the 40s cpm range now.

 

This aint too far off from what I started at. .09 a mile and $20 a drop. The load out was a refer load to a food warehouse (8 hours pulling off my pallets and putting it on theirs), If I wanted a lumper, I had to pay it. But the trip home was 15 or so drops at fabric stores around Chicago (just had to drag it to the back of the trailer and the store employees took it from there), so that was alright. That was 1984. Transport America (which was called something else back then, dont remember what) paid .16 a mile flat. Was going to switch over but the boss gave me a .03 bump to stay, so I did. Shouldnt have, but I did. And went from there...

Plus I was still in my 20s...

 

I won't necessarily say they are pushovers. Detention pay to the driver is only a small fraction of what a company actually charges. We get 15 dollars an hour after 2 hrs here. That ain't really worth it unless you're there for 10 or more hrs, which that happens on occasion. Not often. That's a minimum 150 bucks to me, but the company probably charges that customer 300 bucks an hour for detention. Brokers will do the same thing. Now I don't know exact numbers for what companies customers for holding up their trucks, but it is a pretty penny.

 

They will see the country alright....but only in motion lol

 

I guarantee you there ain't no trucking companies or freight brokers getting anywhere near $300 an hour in detention pay for reefers and vans. The business is way too competitive for that. $50-$100 is more likely. In some instances your company might actually get zilch but still pay you detention.

 

Right. Stray bullets, thieves, junkies and drug dealers are awesome sights to see lol.

 

I started at .22cpm in '98 and now I'm at .8228cpm