Getting paid by the load vs the hour

If I'm local I prefer hourly pay, because getting hung up in traffic, or at a quarry, or shipper/receiver blah blah blah it's irrelevant. I'm getting paid regardless, no need to rush. Let me use an example for instance, construction related hauling in my area. There are 2 companies who tried to hire me recently, both were M-F gigs with the weekend off. Hauling the same material, doing very similar work, in the same general area.

One place started at 18 bucks an hour, overtime after 40, and the other paid 25% of the load. I saw the figures for both, and in the end the paychecks wouldn't be too far off "on paper." However, if I were to run for either company, I'd certainly prefer to take the hourly gig, just for the simple fact I know that anytime I get hung up at the quarry, or loading facility, at the unloading site, sitting at 40 different traffic lights running through town etc, it's all paying me. No need to rush. Had I took the percentage of load pay, I'd be constantly playing the rush game all day, trying to get that next load and it'd be a given I'd be sitting for free at some point or another. I could entertain pay by the load if I were running a more "regional" type of route where getting paid by the load made more sense due to the loads paying more.

 

Well said, one point i can add tho is that.... When your paid by the hour and you took a lower hourly pay($16-20/hr) because they promise so much overtime you will always be worried about hours like a otr guy is worried about miles.

Take a higher houlry wage with less hours and you have the world by the balls

 

That is also true. Numbers look great when you're getting those 60-65 hours weeks, but once it slows down and you're eeking out 40 hours a week, things change, and they change quick. I guess that can be said for anything though. Moral of the story, haul high demand, all year round freight lol.

 

You don't get paid squat by anything other than salary, miles or percentage of gross.

I hauled reefer frreight in my time once under Percentage I think 25% of whatever the truck made. If the 18 wheeler does 10,000 in revenue for the NE in a month, I can expect my net to be around 2000 to 2500 depending on taxes etc.

Back in the 80's 2500 is #### good when you consider a new 8000 car payment is 170. Houses were 90,000 and so on.

 

You’re at Dow, that’s down and west of 310?

 

I've been paid CPM and by the hour. In my opinion every CPM driver thinks all problems would disappear if they were paid by the hour. They never think about their dispatcher or boss watching them closely to see if they are milking the clock.

Work for a good honest company that fits you. How they pay you is like preferring to drive a truck of one color over another color.