New Driver's: How is the pay, really?

I started driving before they had the CDL . I moved to Arkansas from MA when I was 24 . When I went to transfer my license I just told them I wanted a chauffer's license . I could drive anything . A year later I teamed with an O/O hauling chicken to Denver then picking up boxed meat at Monfort .

 

46 cents/mile Cdn (just over 37 cents/mile US)
Fuel bonus paid monthly. I get 50 dollars for every 0.1mpg above 7 (so 8mpg gets me 500 bucks). Lately I've been averaging 7.5 to 7.8mpg.
100 dollars for every additional pickup or dropoff. 100 bucks extra for overlength too. Don't really deal with overheight or overwidth much but I would get paid extra for that too.
No detention pay.....and I don't get paid while loading or unloading. Right now I am sitting in Amarillo, TX due to road closures and my time is free.

I average around 12000 miles/month but have been requesting time off lately. The past couple months I've worked 3 weeks/month and have gotten between 9500 and 10,000 miles for the past couple months which has been great because it more than covers my bills and keeps me in the good books with the girlfriend. (She doesn't have that invisible boyfriend!)

Pay has been between 4500 and 6200/mo before tax (in Canadian dollars....roughly 3700 to 5000ish USD before tax). roughly 25% of my money goes to tax.

As for expenses, I spend roughly 50 to 100 dollars per week while on the road.

 

hey daddybear can you say what company you work for

 

Wow!!! Thats amazing. I've worked for them on & off for close to 20 yrs, OTR regional, local, day cab & sleeper, reefer & tanker. $1200-$1500 is the average 2 week pay if you work 16 to 18 hours a day. Their favorite saying is ".....we didn't pay you for that because its part of your job" That includes all extra labor & time. Last time I worked for them was pulling milk tanker for a year. About all I could take. One caveat I only worked out of my immediate area(Minn.) so it might be better elsewhere, but I kind of doubt it.