The answer is "it depends." A starting driver for Thompson Trucking Inc. in Quincy, IL is .48 per mile plus additional pay for tarping, TONU, etc. You would get 2,000 to 2,500 miles per week. They also offer per diem. If you don't need the benefit package you get an additional .05 per mile after 90 days. Training wise you get a set amount per week, which I recall as being $500 or so. How long does training last? It depends on how well you perform. You could have your own truck in a month - the trainer makes the call. I've seen some companies advertise .28 per mile. Yikes!
Getting paid per diem means getting a portion of your salary paid to you without taxes taken out. It's technically classified as a meal and expense reimbursement.
Truck drivers and others who travel for a living get large tax deductions for meal expenses. The Government set up per diem pay as a way to reimburse some of the taxes you pay with each paycheck instead of making you wait until tax filing season.
Getting per diem pay means a driver will get a larger paycheck each week but a smaller tax return at tax time.
We have a ton of information on our wiki page on per diem pay
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One thing to keep in mind is, many company drivers are being paid under the per diem rules. Don’t get caught up in the details. Just know that, under that system, part of your pay is not taxed and therefore, your net pay may be a little more like earning a slightly higher gross pay.
The real question is; what does the pay NEED to be for you to “pull the trigger?”
Per Diem:
Getting paid per diem means getting a portion of your salary paid to you without taxes taken out. It's technically classified as a meal and expense reimbursement.
Truck drivers and others who travel for a living get large tax deductions for meal expenses. The Government set up per diem pay as a way to reimburse some of the taxes you pay with each paycheck instead of making you wait until tax filing season.
Getting per diem pay means a driver will get a larger paycheck each week but a smaller tax return at tax time.
We have a ton of information on our wiki page on per diem pay