CDL Grad Starting Pay

I plan to begin CDL training at the American Institute of Trucking in Las Vegas upon my retirement from the Air Force in early August. What should a CDL grad expect to make, in CPM , with their first trucking company? I'm just wondering what would be considered the low end of the pay scale. Thanks for any insight anyone can provide.

It will depend on the company you go with and how well you run. Start here.

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road Training Program

Then here Paid CDL Training Programs and here, Trucking Company Reviews. Then put "first year total" in the search bar above. You can expect anywhere from .29cpm to .42cpm. There are many more and different features about each company and you need to find one that fits you best. Good luck.

As stated above it can vary depending on freight and such....flatbed, refrigerated, dry etc....Lot of flatbeds start out at .45 and above but may be regional runs. Not as many miles but with added pay for tarps etc

Dry Van can expect about 32 cpm starting out. Dry van is the lowest paid of the types of trailers. Reefers get paid a little more. Probably around 37 cpm. As Parrot stated a flatbed driver is probably looking at low to mid 40s cpm. I would expect probably around 42 cpm. I have no clue what a Tanker driver would start out as. Having Hazmat endorsement you could expect 3-5 cpm more on a Hazmat load.

Some companies pay the same on all dispatches miles. Some companies pay more on loaded miles, but less on Deadhead and Bobtail miles. For example: I get paid 32 cpm on all dispatched practical miles. Another company may offer something like 38 cpm on all dispatched loaded miles, but 21 cpm on all dispatched deadhead and bobtail miles. But they may pay HHG (Household Goods) miles. There are just a lot of variables to consider.

Barry, my recommendation is to ask companies directly. Make sure they tell you what a new driver makes, NOT an average of all their drivers. If they say they can't tell you, ask for new hire pay per mile and average weekly or monthly miles. Then do your own math.

I started at the beginning of 2015, made $40k as dry van OTR. I averaged 10,000 miles per month.

I hope this helps and thanks for your service.

As a reefer driver for Prime, I started out at 46cpm for all miles, empty, loaded and bobtail. They calculate the miles as "the crow flies," which often differs from the actual miles driven. I get an extra 5cpm for loads picked up and dropped in the North East. Also, I drive a lightweight truck, which pays an extra 5cpm, so if you get a condo you would start at 41cpm. The lightweight has less room, but incentives besides extra pay include ability to haul slightly heavier loads, less miles needed to earn vacation and faster raises.

A key thing to remember is that companies may pay different based on region and other factors. E.g. Company ABC might pay drivers in NJ different than drivers in OK. They may have more difficulty recruiting from an area or a geographic area's cost of living may justify a difference in pay for the same job elsewhere.

Thanks to all. I appreciate your time.