How do truck drivers get paid?

A guide to per mile, hourly and percentage pay

You’re researching how to become a truck driver and trying to decide if trucking is the right career for you. One big difference between trucking and other jobs is the variety of ways drivers are paid for their work. Let us break it down for you:

Per-Mile Pay
Per-mile pay is the most common way over-the-road (OTR) drivers are paid for their work. For example, you might earn a base rate of 55 cents per mile. If you drive 3,000 miles in a week, your base earning for that week would be $1,375.

Your base per-mile pay rate can be affected by several factors, including:

• Your years of driving experience
• Where you live in the U.S. (rates vary by region)
• The type of freight you haul

It’s also important to note that at most companies, including Halvor Lines, per-mile pay is your BASE pay. Most drivers earn additional income through:

• Accessorial pay – this refers to pay for border crossings, unexpected delays, or driving in highly congested areas. Check our accessorial pay blog post for more information.
• Bonus and incentive programs. Many companies, including Halvor Lines, offer bonuses for safety, fuel compliance, idle time and more.
• Training other drivers. At Halvor Lines, driver trainers earn an additional 28 cents a mile.

Per mile pay can take a little getting used to. You can calculate your estimated earnings using calculators like this pay calculator from Drivewyze. Keep in mind that your paychecks will vary from week to week, depending on where your routes take you and if you earn accessorials. Bonuses are generally paid out quarterly or annually.

Hourly Pay
If you are hired to drive a local or regional route with a predictable schedule, chances are you will be an hourly employee. Instead of being paid for the distance you travel, you’ll receive an hourly wage for time spent driving, loading and unloading freight, and completing other job-related tasks.

If you like a predictable paycheck, then finding a driving job that pays hourly may be the best choice for you. You may appreciate this most if you end up with some downtime or you experience unexpected delays on the road.

While drivers on hourly pay don’t generally receive accessorial pay, there are still options for earning additional income. At Halvor Lines, for example, hourly drivers can become driver trainers and their hourly wage increases.

Percentage Pay
With percentage pay, you earn a percentage of the revenue generated from loads you transport. This means you can earn more money than per-mile drivers when freight rates are high. But it can also cut the other way when freight rates are low – in that case, you may earn less than someone on a per-mile pay plan. It also takes a little more work to keep track of your earnings.

At Halvor Lines, we offer our flatbed drivers a choice of per-mile or percentage pay, and they can switch between the two options every quarter. So if you’re interested in percentage pay, but not sure about the risks, look for companies that offer some flexibility with it.

Understanding how each driver pay model works will help you make an informed decision about the pay option that works best for you. If you’re interested in learning more about current driver openings and pay options at Halvor Lines, reach out to one of our recruiters. They will be happy to help!