What should I pay a driver?

I'm considering putting a driver in my truck. I pull a double drop RGN tandem axle trailer and do a lot of oversize loads. Based on the numbers I did last year I am thinking of offering percentage which would come to 45 to 50 cents per mile or about $1000 to $1100 per week on average. Is this enough to get and keep a competent and experienced driver?

The truck is a very nice Pete 379 with 725hp but I want to limit the speed to 64. Is this going to create difficulty in getting and keeping a good driver?

If we can make 1 truck and trailer work out well I'd like to have 3 by the end of the year.

 

No benefits and 1099 to start. If things go well and this grows to three trucks I'll go to withholding taxes, paying SS and regular employment.

 

Thanks for asking. I was diagnosed with cancer of the throat and neck in early January. Got off the road to treat it. I chose alternative treatments instead of traditional surgery, chemo and radiation which are very damaging to the neck and throat if they even work. With those treatments the 5 yr survival rate is about 25% so I decided to try something different. Treatments are going very well and I'm pretty good overall. My mental health is in question due to doing nothing! That's why I'm thinking of getting my authority and creating a small manageable fleet of 3. I paid my carrier almost $40,000 in 9 months leased there pulling my own trailer and working load boards, that's crazy!