Stepdeck rates

The correct answer is neither. They are both garbage rates.

 

Lots of open deck drivers are paid on percentage; it's pretty crucial to know what your cut is being figured on.

"Not company drivers business to know rates"??? Ok, suuurrre.......

 

Lack of transparency = raw deal!

 

Why would a company not want their driver to know the rate....Hmmmmmmm.....

We all know why.

 

If they are paying you on a percentage of the load value, what there not telling you is that it is a percent of an adjusted value.
Before they pay you, they take their cut, plus an estimated cost per mile of running the truck.
So let's say the load actually pays $3 a mile. They take (for this example) 20% for the company that brings the load down to $2.40 a mile. Then they figure the cost per mile of operating the truck with fuel, insurance, maintenance etc, let's say $.75 a mile. That brings the per mile down to $1.65. Now let's say they pay you 70% of that that's $1.15 a mile to you.
Well sorry Charlie, company gets an extra $.50 a mile in straight profit.
This type of scenario happens a lot.
As others have said the companies are going to make money on you regardless.
The only way to solve this is work for a company that's straight up honest and will show you the actual freight bill being paid on, and not some doctored bill they choose to show you.

 

Then factor in the empty miles.

 

Good point. I forgot that.
If you don't have a guaranteed load on the other end, then you have empty miles on both sides.

 

When I was running van, I would look mostly at rate per mile. Now, running open deck, I look more at the amount of revenue per day, week, and month I could earn with the loads I choose to run. I look at what the load pays and estimate how long it will take me to complete the load.

 

Come to west Texas with that step deck and pull sand boxes 1500 a day running legal more if you are with a company that does not use e logs plus I'm home every night