DRIVER WAGES BACK IN THE DAY

What the guy told you is about right.
My first job paid .085 cpm about that time, but it was with probably the worst company around then.
Average price of coffee was .25 cents and some places on the back roads might be even .10 or .15 cents with free refills.
Some places, if you were polite and respectful to the waitresses, many times they wouldn't charge for the coffee and when that happened to me, I'd leave a dollar tip.

 

I was earning .24 cpm on my first regular highway run in 1981.

 

I started out at 12 cents per mile. But made more then the guys making 25 cents per mile.
Got $6. per drop, and some weeks had 50 drops. May have 5 stops. But so many units were a drop.
$25.00 for hire pickup.
$35.00 for hire drop.
$9. Everytime I dropped or picked up a trailer. If I went where they made us drop the trailer to load. That was $18. 9 to drop and 9 to hookup.
Motel room every night.

 

I started as a beer hauler in 1987 ...Minneapolis to st Louis and back .
.18 cents a mile ...off weekends but 3 rounds was expected ..didnt sleep much .

 

I remember those numbers.

What wasn't advertised though. It was team pay.

 

I thought wages stagnated at common carriers during the '90's
A friend working at a common carrier was earning .34cpm in 2002 where I had been employed and earning .32cpm in 1992.. Not sure if this was the case at other common carriers.

 

Way back in 2008 I started at swift for .25 a mile.

 

.16 a household mile plus you had to pay union dues

 

Are union dues that big of a deal?

 

I buy like 2 double shot espresso star bucks drinks a day plus a can of dip it doesn't make a dent in my finances. For such a horribly underpaid industry I am feeling pretty good, making more in my first year than I did after fixing computers for 10 years.

My step dad, barely cleared six digits after being in IT for 30 years, and my dad same story after programming for that same time. My step dad was like, "I don't remember my dad ever getting paid for off time" (he's a truck driver). Just said I am. And mentioned that article I read from the Montly Fool and that trucking big-wig who said change is happening, slowly, but is happening as far as compensation to retain drivers.