so how much did you gross this year?

I wouldn't expect over or at least 50 unless you are going to change jobs, and look for companies who have the potential and realistic bonuses, and miles that can help you make that. Some people think it's time that automatically get's you the biggest check, but the truth is you seeing how things work in the business, and making adjustments. So that you can put yourself in a better position to get the better checks. A person with 3 or 4 years if they squander their Hours of Service and never change their bad driving habits. They are always going to be on the low end. But if that 1st or 2 year driver who takes his safety and his time serious and makes the most of it. Will normally be ahead of the other guys even though they may be making a few pennies more. This is why I'm not to fond of the LTL type system. When they look more at seniority then work ethic. My checks can be disappointing as well, and then some weeks everything works together and then other weeks no matter how you tried to set it up. Just doesn't work. That's just the nature of the business. Hope it gets better for you. But Again just don't expect because you have some experience people are going to shower you with cash. You have to do your homework to see where the money is, and if you can enjoy that type of work and all its pro's and con's that come with it.

 

Hit it on the head. Knowledge comes with time so in a way time does help get you better pay because you gain knowledge an experience and can then move your career to a better company and know what to look at. It's not always about your base pay. Mileage pay is the worst pay rate you will ever get. Way too much free work that way. Percentage is probably the best if you can rack up a bunch if short runs in a week. Long runs suck for percentage pay as a company guy. I've ran all pay scales and right now I'm Otr hourly pay and it's the best. I'm paid for every minute I'm working. Driving, fueling, loading, unloading, waiting for paperwork, you name it I get paid. So far I haven't had a check under $1000 so I can't complain. The absolute best pay would be percentage plus hourly pay for line 4 work. I I could find a Tanker job that would pay me like that and get me home every weekend id switch in a heartbeat.

 

Not enough. Seems like I make less every year.

 

No, that might still take you a couple of years. I've been doing this 16.5 yrs, 16 of those with the same company. I run local/regional, I'm home all but 5 night per month, I get holidays and weekends off (unless I volunteer to work). Every day I start at different times, the last full week I worked, Dec. 16 to 22nd, I started at 2am, 3am, 3am, 6am, 3am, 3am, and worked a 10 to 11 hrs each day. That's my normal day. I grossed $63,200 for this year, that's the most I've made. The amount you gross can vary so much, depending on the economy, freight volumes, region you run, etc., etc., etc. My first full year with my company, I grossed $27K, every year it went up a little, till the economy dropped in '03, then it grew again, till the economy tanked in '08. Now it's building again, cross my finger, I'll gross the same amount or more in 2014 and beyond.

Dinomite is spot on, my neighbor works for OD, he's 5th lowest (of 40 drivers) on the totem pole for line-haul drivers. We talked about this at dinner during a Christmas Party. I average 85k miles per year, in the last 5 yrs he's only driven 200K miles, he spend his time on the docks on the overnight. He works an 8 to 10 hr shift, spend most of it loading/unloading or shuffling trailers, maybe occasionally they'll send him out to pick up a pup someone forgot. He's been laid off 3 times for up to 3 weeks. That is the part that a lot of these line-haul drivers and others don't tell you, is how long it took them to make a certain amount. Look at Walmart private fleet drivers, starting pay is $49,500 depending on the DC you work for. I know two of their drivers who hang at the same bar I do, who are both grossing $110K, one has been there 15 yrs, the other 12 yrs. I know guys who work for a local furniture company, the company advertisers $60K for OTR drivers, to start. Sure, but that's based on driving pay, lumping (unloading) pay, and how long do you want to be gone?

You shouldn't be asking what we are making, but what you will be starting out at.

 

And within seconds,

wham.....it's all gone...........

 

Crap missed this thread grossed $61200 net was $51000. And i still got 36000 of it haha.