Navajo Express OTR Review

21.5 cents per paid mile + 13.5 cents for each per diem mile = 35 cents per mile.

NOTE (1):
I do realize that 13.5 cents for each per diem mile is a lot of per diem.

If a truck driver drives 10,000 miles a month, that comes out to 120,000 miles a year.

21.5 cents per paid mile X 120,000 miles = $25,800 in paid miles.
13.5 cents for each per diem mile X 120,000 miles = $16,200 in per diem miles

$25,800 in paid miles + $16,200 in per diem miles = a combined total of $42,000.

NOTE (2):
I do realize that there are truck drivers that LOVE the system of per diem miles because it puts their wages into a lower income tax bracket, not only for federal and state income taxes, but also for Social Security and Medicare taxes.
The extra per diem monies that have not been used can be either put away or used for other necessary expenses at home for the truck drivers' families.

NOTE (3):
I do realize that there are truck drivers that absolutely DESPISE the system of per diem miles. These truck drivers want to be put into a higher income tax bracket.
These truck drivers feel that they are being CHEATED out of additional employer's contributions to Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment Compensation, Workman's Compensation, along with 401(K) and other retirement contributions that the trucking companies may have to offer.

NOTE (4):
I do realize that per diem that is being paid to the truck drivers are tax write offs that save the trucking companies many thousands, if not millions, of additional tax dollars that they would have had to pay into the tax system, (both federal and state), along with saving many thousands, if not millions, of additional dollars that they would have had to pay into the truck drivers's 401(K) plans or any other type of retirement plans that are also being offered.

NOTE (5):
If I were a CDL truck driver, especially OTR, and had a choice, I would choose NOT to take any per diem. I would want the additional employer's contributions paid into Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment Compensation, Workman's Compensation, along with 401(K) and other retirement contributions that the trucking companies may have to offer.
I do realize that per diem is often MANDATORY, whether the truck driver wants it or not.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

OTR & LTL - over the mountains - through the woods - coast to coast - sea to shining sea

The OTR & LTL truck drivers of America are positively the driving force of our economy.

 

I just added up my weekly pay after a year with Navajo at .36 a mile : $767 a week, or about 41,000 annually. 3-10 weeks out at a time.

 

So????35cpm including per diem pay??? Thats very low....
Almost 14 cpm comes out as tax break when its really about $65 or so a day making the math difficult when a driver doesn't run miles for that day or week etc. Tax time is a headache...

Up until now I worked 1099...1 check to the IRS a year at 50cpm gross....per diem on top of that.
Yes theres no unemployment or witholding but you never fight for your money either.

 

If you get on a dedicated run the pay goes up quite a bit. The costco drivers get .40 a mile and .49 a mile on the backhaul. Then you get .05 a mile bonus on all miles if you meet their fuel and idle requirements which they do not seem to enforce very strictly. Most drivers get the full or most of the bonus every month.

They are about to open up a new account in atlanta and will need a few hundred more drivers. OPs comments have been pretty right on. I have been treated well here and generally get around a thousand bucks a week after taxes and I run hard but not as hard as I ran on OTR by a good stretch.
Very few of the smaller dedicated trucks are more than 6 months old.

 

How accurate is this illustration below?

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

I'm at .46 cpm. No forced dispatched. You can call and ask for bigger mile trips and see what they got. The miles are there that's for sure. Any questions ask me I will answer them all.