what is a decent CPM to start out with?

You do a lot of talking sir. We still don't know which company you drive for and how long you been driving. You did say 1099 so that does speak volumes.

 

You said it best...
This is what I consider the illusion designed to take advantage of naive drivers. .60 per mile positions have the most drivers quitting because of miles. .42cpm with the extra toppings grossing 1500 a week , hard to find drivers. Driving there is half the work. Managing hos and trip planning to arrive on time safely is where you make your money. I'm not kidding I have an almost 6 figure position that drivers turn down occasionally because it's at .39cpm home weekends. It's almost insane when they decline based on cpm not factoring in that it's only a third of their income and the other 2 thirds is made up with getting your hands dirty. No.wait times no lumpers. Cost is kicked back to driver . And they settle for a .46cpm position making 44k. Very odd to see this in my opinion. And no I don't talk about anything but empiracle observation and the general consensus based on the drivers I speak to.

 

That's a bargain....I don't even look at cpm when I job hunt. I only care about running. I run hard. I want to know that I'll run a load daily. I need the trailer to always be loaded. I like to run 2500 or more miles per week at 40 cpm, I can make that work. It's not how much money one makes, it's his/her obligations and how it's spent that matters.

 

Brother you're very welcome. I personally believe I can make a living being a company driver at just about any company. It's just some will get you home more often, some will keep you out on the road more. I like to run about a month at a time, but if I get burned out, I need to be routed to the house, and I have the luxury of communicating that with my dispatcher. When you first get started, just focus on getting your experience that first year. After that, a bunch of doors open for you.

 

YEP YEP YEP!!
That's it. They don't look at big picture AND they don't want to touch anything.
That's where the $$ adds up.

Sit in that cab and get fat..
I'll work.. stay in shape.. make MORE money.. and be happy.