Why Does it Always say "Up to" for O/O pay per Mile Rates on Job Ads?

I've been pondering on this for a few years now wanting to go from Company Unionized driver to Owner Operator or Own Authority but trying to make sense of the overall worth of it?

I never jump in head first & basically take my time with a thorough research which is why I joined this forum to begin with. I've been driving for now 25 years was a Owner Operator back in early 2000 (had my own Authority with a friend who also owned the truck particularly 50/50) but we were both young & new to trucking and a lot of issues occurred, sold the truck, I went OTR for a local company. And after became a local/regional unionized driver for a globally known company the last 20 years. Yes, believe it or not we local drivers have issue from daily Management harrassment, four wheelers cutting us off, traffic, summer construction, road closures on routes etc..

Long story short life has changes & my wife wants to move out of the big city to rural area but a transfer to other depots aren't guaranteed.!! We've been talking about this for a while as I search for Owner Operator companies.

One of my biggest issues is the term used in job ads and on company websites: (term) "UP TO"..

WHY can't they just say we pay Owner Operators $1.30 cpm (Usd), $1.72 per mile (cad), etc...? Its VERY deceptive.

I'm in Ontario, Canada so most pay rates here start at $1.15 (cad) to $1.77 (cad) I've seen but ones over $1.35 (cad) say "Up to".. My wife is American so I have duel citizenship so if we were to move to Buffalo, NY or closer on the Canadian side I can work for a company on the U.s. side. Most pay rates there are $1.05 (usd) per mile. Just saw a well known fleet paying $1.04/cpm (usd) @ currency exchange rate of $1.32 cad = $1.37 cad. I've figured with the rate of inflation a base pay of $1.65 cpm (cad) (or $1.24 cpm usd) is essential so even on low mileage weeks, slow downs etc. a weekly pay week averages $1500 cad (52 weeks @ $1.65 = $4537.50 so base pay on 1/3 for Truck lease payments & fuel, insurance expenses. 1/3 reserve/miscellaneous expenses & 1/3 pay workouts perfectly based off of 550 mile per day weekly not including reset/off time).

$1.04 (usd) per mile or $1.32 (cad) DOES NOT CUT IT!..for a New Truck payments being $750 cad bi weekly. Yes, a used truck might be efficient but the headaches of downtime isn't imo. @ $1.32 cad per mile 550 miles 5 days per week @ 52 weeks = $188,760 cad a base annual rate of $235,000 Gross (before taxes) is a neccessity to obtain a reasonable living whiles being an O/O and reasonably rested. Running 3000 miles per week can bring in $205,920 (cad) but in order of obtaining $235,000 (cad)/and or $176,250 (usd) per week @ 1.32 cpm (cad) you would need to drive 3424 miles weekly (685 daily). So you're running your clock right down to the minute (11 hrs).

How do you Manage your 'Me' time such as Exercising at a gym, shopping for food etc..? In the city after a 11 hr shift haven't time for anything else besides a quick shower and sleep.

Just wondering how O/O are managing their time considering the hustle for a reasonable pay day!

 

Good point. I'm thinking you're right with living on the U.s side or even possibly living on the Canadian Niagara falls, On. & maybe working on the Niagara Falls side because either way I'd be working state side home 26 or 36 weekends only.

Either way I've got to look for $1.21 plus state side. Unfortunately I've only saw a ad for USA Trucking offering 67% of load revenue or $1.08/mile. Thing I'm not to sure with the 67% pay of load because there s never a guarantee they're paying off the top broker rate? I had some bad Experiences back in 2000 and not to sure if things even got any better from the looks of it.

Trucking is a strange where they're supposedly short drivers yet they are always trying to scheme the money over on them.

 

So they paid $100/mile @ 3 miles * 2 = $600/day * 5= $3000 /week wouldn't be with a new truck & payments plus other expenses. In 2020 and years ahead with worldwide inflation rate increasing. A minimum take home net pay has to be north of $1100/weekly.

 

Lol ...Exactly so basically your getting $20 first 5 miles then $1 per mile so even on a 683 mile run for 678 miles you earn $678 then $20 for the remainder = $698/day $3490/week or $181,480 Annually

For me I'd be good with that because $176,250 (usd) is my minimum. However I wouldn't want to run for 11 hour per day. It's to much and I'd be burnt out in a year for sure. Considering it would be 20 miles 5 days a week short of my target minimum I'd still be tired from driving 10.6 hours daily. They have to make it more fair for the O/O & drivers 8.5 to 9 hrs driving daily.