The truck driver pay structure you choose — or that a carrier offers — has a huge impact on annual income. CPM (cents per mile), percentage-of-load, hourly, and salary all pay differently depending on your miles, load values, and detention time. This calculator shows exact weekly, monthly, and annual gross pay for each structure at your numbers.
CPM (Cents Per Mile)
Percentage of Load
Hourly Pay
Annual Salary
Additional Pay
Enter your pay details and click Compare Pay Structures
How to Compare Truck Driver Pay Structures
Choosing or evaluating a truck driver pay structure is one of the most important financial decisions in a trucking career. The same driver doing the same job can earn $15,000-$25,000 more per year just by understanding which pay structure fits their situation.
CPM (Cents Per Mile) Pay
CPM is the most common pay structure for company OTR drivers. At 55 CPM with 2,500 weekly miles, you earn $1,375 per week ($71,500/year). Higher CPM rates (65-75 CPM) are common for experienced drivers or specialized freight. The downside: you earn nothing during loading/unloading or breakdowns.
Percentage of Load Pay
Percentage pay (25-35% of load revenue) is popular with flatbed and specialty carriers. At 28% on a $4,500 load, you earn $1,260 per load. Doing 2 loads per week yields $2,520 weekly ($130,000/year). This pay structure rewards you more for higher-value specialized freight.
Hourly Pay
Hourly trucking jobs are common in local/regional delivery, construction, and government work. At $22/hr for 55 hours per week, you'd earn $1,210 weekly ($62,900/year). Hourly pay means you get paid for all time — loading, unloading, traffic — which can significantly increase total compensation.
Detention Pay and Bonuses
Don't overlook additional pay. Detention pay ($25-50/hr after 2 hours) at 3 billable hours per week adds $5,460/year at $35/hr. Stop pay and layover pay further boost income. Input these in the Additional Pay section to see their true annual impact.
Which Structure Is Best?
CPM works best for high-mileage OTR drivers running 2,500+ miles weekly. Percentage pay wins when load values are high ($4,500+). Hourly pay protects against slow freight markets. Compare your actual numbers here to see which structure pays you most at your current volume and rates.
FAQ
Is this truck driver pay calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required. All calculations run locally in your browser. No personal or financial data is ever sent to any server.
What is CPM pay in trucking?
CPM stands for cents per mile. You earn a fixed rate for every loaded mile driven. For example, at 55 CPM ($0.55/mile) with 2,500 weekly miles, you'd earn $1,375 per week before taxes. CPM rates typically range from $0.40 to $0.75 for company drivers, and $1.50–$2.50 for owner-operators before expenses.
Is percentage-of-load pay better than CPM?
It depends on the loads. Percentage pay (25-35% of load revenue) benefits drivers when loads are high-value. At 28% on $4,500 average loads doing 2 loads per week, you'd earn about $2,520 weekly. However, if load values are low or you drive many empty miles, CPM can pay more consistently.
What is detention pay and does it add significantly to income?
Detention pay ($25-50/hr) kicks in after 2 hours of waiting at a shipper or receiver. Many company drivers log 5-10 hours of detention per week. At $35/hr after a 2-hr grace period, 8 hours of weekly detention adds about $210/week or roughly $10,000/year in extra pay.
What do truck drivers typically earn annually?
According to BLS data, median annual wages for heavy truck drivers are around $52,000-$60,000 for company drivers, while OTR long-haul drivers often earn $65,000-$90,000. Experienced drivers at top carriers can earn $100,000+. Owner-operators average $150,000-$200,000 gross but have $120,000-$150,000 in expenses.
Does this calculator support metric units?
Yes. Toggle the unit switch to switch between miles (imperial) and km (metric). All mileage inputs and per-mile outputs convert automatically.