Driver Paycheck Survey Lets Hear It Reefer Drivers!

My first year reefer 77K now O/O.

 

Average about 3700 miles a week, 3300 on a short week and 4300 on a long week. Gross about $55k to $61k annually... Could make more if I wanted to run more, or harder. Home weekly for 2 to 4 days.

 

40 cpm is about average for my part of the country, Rockie Mtn. Region... Where you located?

 

Utah

 

W2

 

Might be a few pennies low for Utah... But I'm only a couple hundred miles north of you and 40 is about average. Low end starter pay for little to no experience is about 35 cpm and high end experienced guys may get about 48 cpm.

 

Thanks.
My wife was offered. 42cpm and me .50cpm and I was concerned this was to low.

 

Those numbers sound about right for UT to me... I'm assuming you have a fair bit of experience, and your wife has some experience but not alot? If that is the case I wouldn't be concerned with the rate per mile... I would be more concerned with how many miles thier drivers are averaging each week, and what kind of benefits package they offer. If I were you I would seek out other drivers that drive for the same company, out of the same terminal, as you would be working and ask them about miles per week... How long they are out on the road at a time, how hard is it to get home time, how often they end up sitting waiting for dispatch to find them a load.

I personally make 41 cpm, many folks say that is low... But again it's about average for our area. And I very, very, very rarely sit waiting for dispatch to arrange a load for me. How efficient the dispatch is plays a bigger part in how much you can make than the rate per mile does...

In my opinion 50 cpm is crap if I regularly sit for more than 12 hours waiting for dispatch. The reason I can average 3700 miles a week (running solo, not a team) is because of how efficient my dispatch is... I ALWAYS have dispatch for my next load BEFORE I deliver my current load. Of course there is the rare situation where for one reason or another the next load gets cancelled, but that is extremely rare.

The only time I speak with dispatch is to get my load info when leaving home. Once I'm out on the road dispatch sends me the info for my next load 1 to 2 days before I deliver my current load. As long as there is no problem with the loads (current and next) I have no reason to speak or message with dispatch. Basically I have 1 contact with dispatch per week, the rest of the time I'm my own boss. As long as I'm where i need to be, when I need to be there... Then there is no other contact what so ever.

So as I said, seek other drivers and talk to them about dispatch, lanes, miles, benefits, and other things you have questions about... And don't talk with the drivers the company points out... Go find them on your own.

 

Me 10 years driving, 10 years since I last drove.
Wife no tractor trailer but drove bus.

It's a dedicated account hauling triples so 2510 is what they are getting a week.

I think we are going to take it.
Nice trucks, liked the people. Traing seems seems good. Most importantly the wife feel good about it.

 

A buck and a quarter.