What would a comparative hourly rate be for starters

join the union

To answer your question
Pre trips
Post trips
Fueling the truck
Detention paid on the second you go on duty or aren't driving but are on duty
^ all this paid @ 18.00 per hour

Driving all driving @ 25.00 per hour

Sleeping in the truck $50 per night

Layover detention time 15 hours sitting 8 hours of $18.00 per hour

Working on a Sunday 12 hours of time and a half straight time @ 18.00 per hour plus your 25.00 per hour of drive time for that day

Sounds about right!

 

The median income of Truck drivers in the US was a little less that $42,000 per year in 2013 according to the BLS. So 50% of all truck drivers make less and 50% more.

www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533032.htm

 

Here's a chart showing what the most common jobs for the rich, middle class, and poor are in the USA. It's interesting to note that truck drivers are listed in eight of the 11 percentile income divisions. Looks like the average trucker earns around $46K, with a nice bell curve dropping to either side from there. The chart's only a years old, so relatively accurate.
Link: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2...pular-jobs-for-the-rich-middle-class-and-poor

 

That sounds about right, the data is from 2012, but probably has not changed a lot. The median Income I spoke of is the dividing line, where the 50% mark is. The average is usually going to be higher than the median, but either way, if you are in the High 40's or better, you are doing better than most truck drivers.

 

Exactly, thank you!! Some guys get and some don't. Any monkey can drive a truck, but why not get paid for it, have a life, and EXCELLENT benefits without working for free.

 

but those stats are almost 2 yrs old, and don't divide the different types of trucking, it lumps local, part time etc into 'truck drivers'. With the large number of companies out there raising their pay into the 40's and 50's cpm, even with 6 months experience a driver can earn more than 42k.

Shoot, when I first started driving for a chicken plant, I average $450-500/Wk, and that was 22 yrs ago

 

Which is why I stated in 2013. If the BLS has newer Stats I haven't seen them. The report is from 2014, based on numbers gathered in 13.

I also didn't make a comment about how much someone can or can't make, I merely poi Ted out where the 50% line is, or was.

 

Um. Not to sound smug but I don't run anything that's less than $2/mile. My broker doesn't even ask me anymore...I get in 3200-4200 miles a week. (Paper) My buddy and I are looking at putting our trucks on at Stage Call which could be a really fun lucrative gig.

 

Yep it's funny how those who are speculating/guessing what OTR hourly pay might be are throwing out silly numbers like $7.5/hr, when those who are actually paid hourly are making around 3x that or more

 

Do the math guys. If you drive 60mph @ 40cpm you just made 24 dollars in an hour. Where do you come up with 7.50?