High Paying CPM Reality?

I have talked to a lot of drivers from different companies and it seems like the ones that offer to pay high CPM are nothing more than a marketing play. What good is it to get paid 50 CPM if you are only gonna run 1000 miles a week? Seems like the ones like my company that pay a little less actually run more and you make more. I have been getting 33 CPM but my runs are all 600-1200 Mile average and have been getting 3000-3500 Miles a week consistently.

Interested to see others experiences. No need to mention specific companies, just want to get the truth.

Once I get going I do 2000-2800. Could do more if I wasn't such a slow person. 0.34cpm + 0.08cpm perdium at my company. Heard of one guy making 0.50cpm but he has been here for over 8 years.

Partly it is marketing but it is also a bending of the truth. Many companies have a sliding pay scale based on the load mileage. So if your trip is between 1000-1500 miles you get paid .25cpm but if the trip is between 300-999 miles you get paid 0.28cpm and if it is between 1-299 THEN you get paid 0.50cpm. Many companies also pay differently for loaded versus empty trailers.

A lot of drivers don't ask exactly how their pay is structured. They just take the word of the recruiter. Some of that is the recruiter's fault but some is also the driver's fault.

Thomas, you nailed it. The pay per mile is only one piece of the puzzle. And every company has unique systems in place like sliding scales based on length of haul or region of the country, extra stop pay, fuel bonus pay, and things like that.

What you want to do when comparing pay scales is make sure you're comparing companies with the same type of freight. It's hard to compare dry van to refrigerated to flatbed when there are so many factors involved in each one. Are you getting paid to load/unload? Are you getting paid to put on tarps and chains? Are you getting detention pay at the customers? Are you getting extra stop pay on LTL-style runs? You really want to figure out what type of freight you want to haul and then compare pay packages within that realm.

I have been getting 33 CPM but my runs are all 600-1200 Mile average and have been getting 3000-3500 Miles a week consistently.

Man, let me tell ya.....half the drivers in the country would take those numbers in a heartbeat....especially as a rookie at a dry van company in March when things tend to be slow. If you're getting those kind of miles and runs then the people at your company really, really like you. You must be doing an awesome job or they'd never keep you rolling like that. To be honest, I would keep my eyes open for better opportunities but I would have to be real darn certain I was making the right move before leaving those numbers behind. Because you're not going to beat those numbers - not the mileage figures anyhow. You're already bumping up against your Logbook pretty regularly as it is I'm sure. So the only way you're going to find a better job is to get better mileage pay and continue to get the maximum mileage you can run legally. It's out there. It can be done. But I can assure you that a lot of drivers jump for greener pastures and regret it. You're in a great position so be very careful about where you go.

The one company I can say off the top of my head might give you a shot at maximum mileage, better pay, and better equipment is Prime Inc. But be aware of two things - you're going to be pulling a reefer and you're going to be in a lightweight truck. That means you're going to be dealing with grocery warehouses all the time and you'll be in a truck with a lot less room than you're used to. But you'd be up above 40 CPM and I know for a fact they'll get you 3,000 miles per week if you can handle it, which it sounds like you can. I've never worked for Prime and I have no incentive to mention them to you. The only reason I know as much as I do about them is because we've had so many of our regular forum members work there over the past few years and in fact a few of them currently do. So I know they turn the miles and make good money.

Prime certainly isn't the only good opportunity out there but it's one I'm confident about and I wanted to be able to give you at least one company name for consideration.

For the most part i love everything about the company i work for. Yes i do max out my HOS every day and the money is awesome. The only major issues i ever have is that our shop at my terminal stinks really bad. The shop manager is horrible and i have had issues where i have had to refuse to move the truck until they fix a mechanical problem. I really have no interest in jumping ship unless the company i would go to would assure me in writing that i would not have issues with the shop and getting service. I went rounds with the shop manager this last time where i finally just told him and the terminal manager that i run that truck and my dispatcher keeps me moving freight, if the terminal wants the revenue then keep my truck running 100% and i will move as much freight as i can legally run. It didn't go over well with the shop manager but the terminal manager just smiled and said he would support me and work with dispatch as much as possible to keep us on track with our goals. I understand there will be down time since the truck is just a mechanical item and it will break. It is not a matter of if but when. The key is how fast it gets back up so i can keep moving. I run a Volvo so i am not sure it gets any more cramped, especially with everything i have in there. The way i look at it is that i have invested the money into everything from refrigerator to cooking so i don't ever need a truck stop for anything more than fuel and a wal mart every couple weeks for food restock. If the shop does not get better i will take a hard look at prime. Thanks for the advice Brett, i love to hear advice from the guys that have been out there a long time. I have managed to avoid a lot of "Rookie Mistakes" by simply asking other drivers about their experiences.

I have been getting 33 CPM but my runs are all 600-1200 Mile average and have been getting 3000-3500 Miles a week consistently.

Man, let me tell ya.....half the drivers in the country would take those numbers in a heartbeat....

I was just thinking the same thing, Brett. That looks like approximately 1100 bucks a week to me and it looks good.

Just completed my 7th full week with my new company. My slowest week was 2495 and my busiest is 2710. At 40 cpm , I ( my wife even more) am very happy with the consistent miles and pay. It's out there, just have to find it. This place is aggressively seeking more drivers....fyi.

Just completed my 7th full week with my new company. My slowest week was 2495 and my busiest is 2710. At 40 cpm , I ( my wife even more) am very happy with the consistent miles and pay. It's out there, just have to find it. This place is aggressively seeking more drivers....fyi.

I assume by your pic that you work in the DCS fleet for JB Hunt. I left JB last November. Not because I did not love it there. I did. But they do not run teams unfortunately. If I ever go solo again I just might end back up there. Good company and more miles than most companies for solo drivers.

Yes indeed Guy! After doing team driving for 15 months or so, I wanted to go solo and see if that was going to pay the bills any better. There are definite pros and cons to both ways. I'm a bit of a loner and have pretty eclectic tastes in music. Solo affords me the opportunity to listen to whatever as loud as I want. I find myself doing a little seat dancing much to the amusement of the vehicles passing me by...lol. If I can ever talk my bride of 28 years into hitting the road, she would be my ideal team driving partner.

Often missed is LTL - I team at .68cpm, average 3000 a week, and gross over $2000/week.

Our solos run 2500-3000 miles at over .54 cpm.

One user on here that I have met in person hired on straight out of CDL school , trained for 3 weeks and is on his first solo run tonight.

For him, $70k + gross in his first year is great!

Just to show it is possible.