Starting out

Use this math equation -

Divide your desired weekly gross by 2500 ( weekly average)miles
$1500 Gross Weekly/2500 miles per week = .60 Cents Per Mile

 

depends on your bills and your lifestyle needs

 

Depends on accessorial pays. CPM doesn't mean much without accessorial pays.
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This is from System Transport website:
Accessorial Pay
This broad category of pay may be used by companies to compensate drivers for services performed beyond hauling and maintaining a load, and may include:

• Loading and unloading trailers
• Shrink wrapping pallets
• Tarping flatbed loads
• Operating a forklift or pallet jack
• Paying for tolls or border crossings
• After hours deliveries
• Non-dock deliveries
• And many more

 

I agree that it depends on your lifestyle needs and bills as well, but for a guideline, an inexperienced driver will probably make somewhere in the 40s, for cents per mile, some where between 40 and 50 cpm. An experienced driver can go between 45 and 65 cpm, and that depends on level of experience, company you drive for, running lanes, and business model.

 

Here's from Marten Transport website which is refrigerated:

• IMMEDIATE DETENTION PAY
• INCLEMENT WEATHER PAY
• MILEAGE, SAFETY & REFERRAL BONUSES
• BREAKDOWN & EXTRA STOP PAY
• $1,350+ minimum weekly pay
  
• • DETENTION PAY = UP TO $195 PER DAY
  • INCLEMENT WEATHER PAY = UP TO $250 PER DAY
  • LAYOVER PAY = UP TO $250 PER DAY
  • WEEKEND LAYOVER PAY = UP TO $300 PER DAY

 

Accessorial Pay is like overtime, while it is great to have it's not guaranteed, so I am not going to include it in my budget or pay needs. Companies use the tactic of pitching accessorial pay along with base pay during the recruiting process, hence the phrase " make up to..." and if you're just starting out or not paying attention, you will get blindsided on pay day because the detention time did not occur on the first full moon of the quarter.

 

I've never had all those pay problems. I've talked to lots of truckers that complain about pay and they're all quitting trucking because of that. Happen to see them years later and they're still driving trucks and still complaining about the pay. That tells me they just like to complain. Reminds me of the old saying back in Tennessee when I was growing up; "They'd complain if you hung 'em with a brand new rope."

 

Just like that old married relative that has been married over 30 years. Wife tells them to do something and they will spend the whole time fussing about how he isn't going to do it and how she can't tell him what to do.........while he's doing what she asked.