Myths About Truck Driver Pay

When it comes to the Trucking Industry, transparency is a must between the drivers and those working behind the scenes in the office. Take for example the topic of Revenue. How can drivers maximize their earnings, their miles, and their efficiency with day to day tasks? Let’s break down some commonly held myths to help maximize your success as a professional truck driver.

MYTH #1: THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF A LOAD IS THE NUMBER OF MILES ON IT.

When it comes to loads, focusing on the time it will take to complete the load is the most important characteristic to look at if you are looking to maximize your earnings. How can this be you might ask? Wouldn’t it be smarter to look at the miles of the load? Let’s look at the below example of two different trucks with separate loads.

Truck 1 has an 800-mile load with a delivery window of 2 days.

Truck 2 has 3 different drop and hook loads of 300 miles each – all to be delivered within the same 2-day window. At first glance, Truck 1 may seem like the better choice if you are looking to reach your mileage goal, but let’s take a closer look.

Truck 1 will average 400 miles a day and Truck 2 will average 450 miles a day. As an efficient driver, Truck 2 will bring you closer to your mileage goal (and ultimately your pay check goal) than Truck 1. Important take-away: learn to focus on the time of the load vs. the miles on the load.

MYTH #2: IF I’M DRIVING INTO THE CITY I WILL LOSE MONEY.

It’s true that driving into a busy city may slow the truck down. With the congested traffic, delivering or driving through a big city often means your miles for the day will be less. However, that doesn’t have to mean that your pay check is less! Veriha has incorporated progressive pay boosts into its pay package for these exact reasons. How does this work? If a driver is going to be driving through or delivering into a big city, they qualify for congestion pay. Additionally, if a driver has a load that is less than 400 miles length-per-haul they will qualify for short-haul pay. What are these types of pay? They equal extra CPM on top of your base pay to balance out busy traffic or an extra drop and hook to help you maximize your earnings.

MYTH #3: THE LITTLE THINGS DON’T MATTER.

To maximize your paycheck, be sure that you are using your 14-hour clock efficiently. Maximizing your hours can have a tremendous impact to your paycheck, and ultimately your yearly income. Get as close to the next shipper as parking and safety will allow. Don’t take short cuts during pre-trip inspections, but rather learn to get more efficient at trip planning, drop and hooks, messaging, and all the little fundamentals that go into the job of being a professional truck driver.

MYTH #4: MY FLEET LEADER DOESN’T CARE IF I MAKE MY MILEAGE GOAL.

It’s simple, really. If drivers aren’t making revenue, the company isn’t making revenue. It truly is a team effort. In the below video, Kyle explains that as a former driver, sitting down and observing the Operations Team at work really opened his eyes to see that there is a lot going on behind the scenes - from Customer Service to planning loads to make sure drivers are successful in reaching their goals.

“It truly made me realize that when I’m out there in the truck, I’m truly not alone (in this mission).” Kyle commented. It’s a team effort, and trusting that the Fleet Leaders will continue to get the miles for their drivers to keep them moving and obtain their mileage and pay goals, will go a long way.

Want to learn more? Watch this video below for an in depth interview between Kyle and Scott!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw39irG63ZQ&t=389s