Starting out pay per mile rate?

You'll have a hard time making ends meet with only 3 trucks.


As an experienced driver, 36 cpm is a MINIMUM I would consider.

Insurance is another biggy for me. I just told my employer I didn't care for the offered insurance because my OUT-OF-POCKET expenses for medical will be close to $17,000 for the first year. It will be $13,000+ each additional year. That's 1/3 of the wages he's looking to pay me. It includes the deductible, premium and "pre-existing" condition clause that is being forced on me.


And he wants me to run 70 hours, home for a 34 hour reset and back out.

One can only tolerate that so long.

 

i will drive whatever you have maverick is another great company that pays well starting out with excellent benefits

 

Like MNDriver said, health benefits are good, but really force way too much cost on a driver. Most employers want to have the driver pay most of the cost, when a driver can actually go out and get their own tailored insurance often for less. I pay $9600 in premiums for a private insurance policy with better benefits and less Out-of-pocket expense each year, coverage for wife, 3 kids and myself.

To a driver, the bottom line is the pay in the bank at the end of the week. Gotta feed momma and the kids at home, or your just wasting time. Paying a driver straight rate per mile on all loads will do 2 things. Push the driver to demand more miles so he gets paid, regardless of the value to the company. Put you in the poor house because all the profits are going to the driver in mileage pay, or put you in the poor house because the driver quits due to lack of miles.

I am fairly certain that just about any driver here will agree with the following statement.

1600 miles/week = $960 net pay = good pay
1600 miles/week = $512 net pay = crappy pay

3300 miles/week = $1056 net pay = good pay
3300 miles/week = $1319 net pay = best pay

This week you shagged 2 loads at 800 miles each including deadhead, and they paid you good. Each load paid $ 2352.50 to the company. Driver makes $960 on % pay, and only $512 on mile pay. either way you made out like a fat cat. Driver on mile pay could not pay the rent this month.

Other scenario, you shagged 5 loads all 660 miles each, and you paid the driver $1056 on mileage pay, and the driver is happy with a good week. Driver made his rent, and you cleared around $400 for the week after insurance, fuel, and driver cost. Average line haul rate of $1.56 per mile

If you are lucky enough to get better rates, say like the short run rates, $1.95 per mile. Driver would make $1319 for the week, and you would clear closer to $1700 for week.

Speaking from experience, it is better to chase the bucks and not the miles. Some drivers get bored on shorter runs, but most will not complain about working less and making more.

Over all 1600 miles a week equals less wear and tear cost , less fuel cost , and less chance of a driver getting a violation. 3300 miles a week equals more wear and tear cost, more fuel cost, and more of a chance driver will have to do something shady to keep the loads on time.

Another thing often overlooked on a drivers pay. The little fees and other crap that eats up the pay check. do everything in your power to keep the fees of the driver. Set ground rules such as cash advance fees and what not to ensure they are not abusing the heck out of it, but if you charge a driver $1 to take an advance when he/she really needs it, that is just a slap in the face.

Just my 2 cents worth... thanks for reading and hope this helps.

500 trucks without drivers only equals one big tax bill, 500 trucks with 100 drivers waiting to take an empty seat because they get treated right equals on big pay day, and room for growth.

 

Right now I am looking for another driving job, as the company I was working for went under, and I have an offer from a smallish company at 38cpm, all 48 states. I'm seriously considering asking them for 40cpm, or I might walk away.

3 years OTR clean record.

 

heck i am easy, pay me a straight $700 a week, as long as i meet minum excepted miles, if i run beyond say... 2500 or more miles a week every week if you can keep me that busy at the end of each month toss me a bouns. if i don't turn but a lazy 1800 miles or less the pay drops to 500 a week with no chance of a bonus. providing the miles can be had. if a driver stays out for 3 weeks at a time (which i like to do) send the wife a few wal-mart gift cards so she feels part of the "family".... after all it is just as hard on the family when the husband is gone for 3 or more weeks at time.

just some thoughts as i like to thing outside the box.

you don't need to use my numbers for anything other than just to get an idea of what i am talking about.