Truckers Payscale for New Drivers

Small school in southern Manitoba with seven trucks total. If you're in CA I doubt they'll be much use to you!

I think what it really comes down to is the fact that where I live has TONS of trucking jobs per capita, and the industry seems to pay a lot better for new drivers up here. Like someone else said though, there's a lot more to an employer than pay!

Guess what I found out from the training co-ordinator guy.... One of my trainers I'll have for the second half was named the truck driver of the year by the province's trucking association! I remember seeing his name and face in the local newspaper when he got the award so it was kinda cool finding out that we'd be paired up.

 

Yeah, that's what they can "expect" but that's not what they are going to make! $.40 a mile for a new driver, I would love to meet the recruiter that told you that fact! I think $20,000 is a good solid figure and if you are new driver for your first year this is what you should plan on making.

 

Why wouldn't a new driver earn 40 cpm? Everything I was told before accepting the job has been confirmed by HR/payroll/etc. after signing on the dotted line.

 

First of all what company? Second of all show me that in writing and I will believe you!

 

maverick ??????

 

I'm not trying to pick a fight Chompi, but I'll be open in the interest of helping other new drivers looking for their first job. The company is Big Freight Systems out of Steinbach, MB. I'm in the specialized division (flatdeck) which is what most company drivers are doing. The info is here:
http://www.bigfreight.com/company_driver_specialized.html

52 cpm is used on the page as a combined average for mileage, waiting, and ads pay like tarping. Under that you can see that the mileage only pay is 40 cpm.

I won't be payed this instantly, however. In the top menu you'll see:
Join Our Team > Company Driver > Entry Level Training Program
It doesn't give specifics there, but essentially I'll be with three different trainers over the course of six weeks doing local P&D, short haul border crossings, and finally long haul. During this time the pay is $500/wk. After that I'll be assigned my own truck and paired with a mentor who will help with trip planning and be available to call for any questions, etc. Each of those six months involve the same accessorial pay as a regular driver, but with a sliding cpm scale moving up each month. Month one to six are: 0.26, 0.27, 0.29, 0.31, 0.33, 0.35. Upon completion of those six months the mileage pay is identical to any other new hire migrating from another company (40).

If what I said earlier came off as me receiving 40 cpm from the get-go then I apologize. I do, however, view this as a 40 cpm job with the understanding that my time during training will not be as efficient or productive as it will be afterwards. All of this info is identical to what I was told when I first met with they guy doing the hiring. If you want to give him a call the number is on the website - ask for Big Jim!

I'm very happy to be employed by Big Freight. I'm expecting to work hard and I know it won't seem too great some days, but I've done my homework and talked to quite a few drivers over the last few months. I don't think that BF is head and shoulders above anyone else really... They just excel in the areas I care about most, will hire new drivers, have a good reputation locally, and aren't bad in any areas. I'm getting pretty excited to get to work bright and early Monday morning! :smt026

EDIT: Whoops! In between the training and 6 month period is four or five days of orientation paid at a flat rate of $70/day. I also had a half day orientation a couple days ago which was mostly HR stuff and a bit of training required to be on the Canadian Pacific Railway yard.

 

Go to mavericks website in Black and White:

STUDENT PROGRAM

Don't Just Drive. Drive Maverick.

Just got your CDL? Limited experience? Become a professional truck driver through Maverick's innovative, unmatched student program. A career as a professional truck driver at Maverick Transportation provides you opportunities you won't find anywhere else: industry leading training, great pay, unmatched home time, top-of-the-line equipment, and a home with the best in trucking.
After obtaining your CDL, you will learn flatbed or specialized trucking from the best instructors in the industry. You'll learn the Maverick Transportation standard of excellence through hands-on training with an instructor dedicated to your success.
Our equipment is second to none. We've invested millions of dollars in an effort to make our equipment the safest on the road, something both you and your family can appreciate. To learn more about our commitment to safety, click here.

While other trucking companies offer their students substandard pay, Maverick stands above the competition. In fact, no other student program in the industry comes close to this package.

• $450 per week salary during finishing school
• Depending on division, you will start out earning between $.31 - $.40/mile
• $.03/mile raise at 3 months
• Additional $.05/mile raise at 6 months
• Newest, safest, best maintained trucks on the road
• No other student program in the industry comes close to this pay package!

There ya go! If you want .40cpm right out of school you gotta work your butt off for it but it is there!


http://www.maverickusa.com/driving-jobs/student-program


American Trucker

 

I'm in school now and I've been promised a local job starting out at $14.00 hr. It's a small company, that does dry van and flat bed.
So it is possible to get started in this business with a company other than the large carriers, but you have to get out there and look for it. I still have 4 weeks to go and as long as everything works out I should be good . I do have a little prior experience but it's from twenty years ago.

 

There is NO good reason to get bent over just because you are new to the industry....

 

Hey Scrumdog, by no means am I upset, sorry if it came across that way. I also thought you were talking dry van at first. Flatbeds do pay a lot more because there is usually more work involved and longer down time. $.42 a mile though is pretty high. Hell, $.30 a mile is high for a new driver in a dry van or reefer. Just curious but did you see what Swift flat bed is paying for newbies? You also lucked out with the training pay! $500 a week! If all is true and they company is legit then you really scored! Good luck to you!