Need Advice

I’m working for an Illinois company. They give me 27%. Now I have another one with an offer of 35%. I talked openly to my actual boss. He told me that he can go to 29% and told me:”Do not trust these companies because it’s unreal to have 35%”. How can you help me to make a choice

27% or 35% of what exactly? The line haul? The company's net? The brokered agreement? The gross revenue for a load?

35% brokered agreement

Driving a company truck and trailer?

If so, that sounds high from the limited experience I have regarding percentage pay plans. Personally, I don't think it would be a good fit for me, while others love it. My reservations are changing rates and revenue, then how much do you trust the one paying you? Are you going to see an honest contract, showing their actual, real amount that was paid for each particular contracted load?

Personally, I'm for CPM. Not affected by the market rates, only effects on myself are if the economy takes a major slump.

Pierre, I agree with your Boss and with PackRat. 35% is an astronomical rate. I wouldn't trust it. There is only so much money to go around in these loads. Your Boss sounds like a straight shooter - I'd go with his advice.

It appears to me you are a 1099 contractor. That brings up a lot more questions in my mind. It's pretty much not even a legal way to operate a trucking company if your boss owns the equipment. I like mileage pay. I know what I am making each and every trip. The whole percentage pay thing is a tool designed to help the employer in the first place. Somehow drivers think they are going to earn more money on percentage pay. It's a psychological game we play in our minds, but it seldom really works the way we think it should. Which is probably why you are on the hunt for more money.

I don't understand why you wouldn't work for an operation that has full benefits and pays a decent mileage rate. You are leaving a lot of money on the table in my opinion. I added up my benefits the other day and it came to almost 20,000 dollars worth annually! I didn't even account for how much that has saved me in medical expenses. That is on top of the very nice income I was earning as a company driver.

I agree also with your boss. 35 is not realistic, but if he is pulling broker freight then that isn’t going to work out well for the driver either.

Exact, I feel like I will don’t know exactly the amount and probably they will send me something with a different amount and pay me the percentage from that! But to be honest I was looking for CPM but it’s like so low it’s like after taxes I can’t make 1,000 a week

Thank you PJ. I would like to be a company driver with full benefits etc. But the problem is which one because I was working for one and for 3,000 miles a week I don’t even make 1,000 a week after taxes. So now it’s how to find a good company with a decent CPM?

Use this link to Apply For Truck Driving Jobs. Its tough to say what CPM you'd need in order to hit 1k take home because we don't know your deductions. With that being said claiming 5 dependents living in Iowa $1450 a week comes out to about 1k after deductions for me. If I ran 3000 miles a week I'd need to make 46 CPM to make that amount. Prime is known to be one of the highest paying carriers for those with no experience. If I remember correctly you can earn 51 CPM by driving a lightweight truck. If you're experienced I would think your CPM would be higher.

Thank you very much Rob T!