Sitting for 4 days …

Been driving since Jan and my avg pay is less than my step daughters pay at fast food. Some weeks are $1000 , one was $1283. Most are in the $800 range. Is this normal for less than a year experience? I’m 61 and don’t have 20 years.
Has freight just been off since Jan?
Looking fwd to responses

Mike , Maj USAF ret

 

No that's not normal. Wow

 

Some companies have a guaranteed minimum.
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Marten Transport is one of several.
Marten Transport | Homepage

• Driver Comfort: Late-model equipment with APU’s, automatic transmissions and Invertors on all tractors

 

It’s really discouraging, I actually have grown to love driving so I beg for those long hauls. Lots of sitting so far. And it’s not like I’ve worked for small companies. Started out reefer/dry van now I went to flatbed hoping it’s greener

 

Sitting for 4 days isn't normal, but I don't know what the cause of it might be. Some companies try to scrounge freight off load boards, which is usually risky, difficult, slow, lots of trouble. Other companies have direct customers. It would likely be more common to sit for days if the company is getting random freight from load boards than with direct customers. But customers also have issues sometimes.

This is why it's most important to talk to the current working drivers at a company before deciding to work at a company. Each company has their own normal, so the opinion of online strangers that are working for various other companies, or retired, isn't really a good measure of what is normal at ABC Trucking. But the ABC Trucking drivers with a few years experience at the company do know what is normal at ABC Trucking.

 

Where is your location in Texas. Maybe some good linehaul jobs in the area, such as Estes Express and others similar. Oops, those aren't OTR.
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Which reefer outfit did you work for?

 

As of July 2025, the average annual salary for employees at Kllm in the United States is $74,435. This translates to an approximate hourly wage of $36. Salaries at Kllm typically range from $65,289 to $84,724 annually, reflecting the diverse roles and experience levels within the company.
Kllm Average Salaries | Salary.com
www.salary.com/research/company/kllm-salary

 

Drivers - KLLM Transport Services
KLLM’s OTR fleet runs all 48 states minus the greater New York City area.

 

1099 contractor or W2 employee?

 

Tell us where you live.