Over-the-road (OTR) truck drivers keep freight moving across America. It's a big responsibility, and with it comes opportunities for big pay.
With the freedom to own your business and the option to level-up into specialized, higher-paying divisions like heavy haul and Department of Defense (DoD), Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) can provide you with the tools you need to carve your own path towards your goals for success.
This guide explains how OTR trucking pay works with ATS and what you can expect when driving with a company that's put drivers first since 1955.
Key Points to Consider for an Over-the-Road Truck Driver
- OTR truck driver pay combines cents per mile (CPM) or load percentage with bonuses and accessorial pay
- Experienced OTR truck drivers can earn a salary of $70,000 or more annually, depending on miles and freight type
- Rates vary by state and region based on freight demand
- Talking with an ATS recruiter and asking all your questions is the best way to understand what your miles really mean for your paycheck
How OTR Trucking Pay is Calculated at ATS
It's pretty simple: as an over-the-road truck driver with ATS, you'll earn either 26% of the line haul (the main transportation fee) OR the rate as determined by your cents per mile (CPM), whichever's higher. This can change depending on the load, but it's a change that's automatically baked in, which means it's not on you to figure out which pays more. We take care of that for you.
At ATS, our CPM rates break down like this (based on your driving experience with us):
- OTR Van Drivers: $0.60 - $0.62 CPM
- OTR Flatbed drivers: $0.60 - $0.65 CPM
Example: If the load is 500 miles and paid ATS $1,500, you would earn 26% of the load, or, in this case, $390. Why? Because $0.60 CPM on the same load comes in at a lower total of $300.
Now, if that same load only paid $1,000, these would be flipped. Now, that $300 total from your CPM comes in higher than 26% of $1,000 ($260).
So that covers all your time spent actually driving on a load. But you know there's more to a load than just the driving, which means there's other types of pay as well, including:
- Detention Pay: Waiting at a shipping or receiving facility
- Layover Pay: Unexpected overnight delays (it happens!)
- Stop Pay: Multiple drops or pickups on one load
- Per Diem: Non-taxed daily allowance for meals and expenses
These extras, taken together, can add thousands of dollars per year to your income.
What Determines an OTR Truck Driver's Pay?
There are really four main contributing factors that determine an over-the-road truck driver's salary at any given trucking company:
- Type of Driver
- Freight and Trailer Type
- Carrier's Pay Structure
- Home Time/Availability
Type of Driver
This is typically broken down into two categories: company drivers and independent contractors. So what's the difference when it comes to pay?
Company drivers are employees of the trucking carrier, and as employees, they enjoy steady pay and less risk, since the carrier company covers expenses. They're also eligible for company benefits like insurance and retirement plans. The flip side here is that their pay-per-load tends to be lower.
Company drivers can expect to make between $75,000 and $135,000 per year at a top-paying trucking carrier.
Independent contractors, like lease drivers and owner-operators, manage their own expenses (insurance and maintenance), and assume more of the risk. These responsibilities carry with them higher earnings — the old saying "the greater the risk, the greater the reward" certainly applies here!
After all expenses, lease drivers can generally expect to take home between $120,00 and $170,000 per year.
Owner-operators in the top 10% can make anywhere between $180,000 and $350,000 per year when they partner with top-paying trucking carriers.
Freight and Trailer Type
Different types of freight come with different risks -- and again, the higher the risk, the higher the reward, or in this case, the higher the pay.
- Dry Van Drivers: Steady, but lower-paying freight. Though, seasonal or high-demand loads (like essentials during a supply surge) can boost income
- Flatbed/Specialized Drivers: Complex, open deck loads that require skill and securement training. More commitment, more experience, more pay.
- Heavy Haul Drivers: Oversized or overweight freight that requires special permits, escorts, and years of experience on the road (generally six or more). Drivers that work to reach this level earn top dollar for this additional time, expertise, and risk.
Carrier's Pay Structure
It should go without saying, but I'll say it here anyway: the company you drive for matters. Not all have the same pay structure, but as outlined above, at ATS, you can expect to receive industry-standard cents-per-mile (CPM) rates OR 26% of the line haul -- and you're guaranteed to receive whichever rate is higher for the load.
Home Time/Availability
Captain Obvious here with a breaking announcement: the longer you stay on the road, the more money you'll make. Drivers who are hungry and ready to run get the better freight lanes and higher-paying loads. To make that good money, you've got to be out on the road. It's really no more complicated than that.
Drivers needing regular home time can expect shorter routes -- and less pay.
What Sets the ATS Driving Experience Apart
With 70 years of experience in the ever-changing transportation industry, it's safe to say: we know how to adapt. What's more, as a family-owned business, we understand that drivers, and their needs, have changed, too. Our business was built on the success of our drivers and has continued to thrive since 1955 by treating drivers with fairness and respect.
We understand that you're looking for ways to challenge yourself and expand your business, and at ATS, we provide the tools and resources to help make that happen (through more specialized divisions like heavy haul, for example).
We're also a company that prides itself on having customer-direct freight, which means you're not fighting over a load board. We've got the freight locked in and ready for you.
And with high-end, safety-focused equipment options -- like lane departure warning sensors and side sensors that, per 21-year ATS driver Slade, "pick everything up from ten feet behind the trailer to ten feet in front of you," you can log those miles in confidence.
But beyond all of that, when you represent the name on the side of your truck, you should feel a sense of pride. "I take very serious what is written on my truck," says ATS driver Edward Jackson. "That identifies ATS, and once you see it, you know where it's coming from. You have to take into consideration what sign you are sitting behind."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Ready to See What You Can Earn on the Road?
Talk to an ATS recruiter today to get a personalized pay breakdown based on your experience, lane preferences, and business goals. Ask your questions. All of them. Leave no stone unturned so you know exactly what to expect from day one of driver orientation, as well as all of the different paths available to you at Anderson Trucking Service, including lease-purchase, driving company, and more.
Last Stop
With routes across all of the lower 48 states (and into Canada), customer-direct freight, safety-forward, high-end trucks and equipment, industry-standard pay, opportunities for growth, and a network of helpful resources, ATS has the tools available to help you reach your goals. It's just up to you to have a clear idea of what those goals are; to ask our knowledgeable recruiters all of your questions, and as veteran ATS driver Slade advises: "Keep the truck moving, keep making money."
Digging into the Drive4ATS Learning Center is a great starting point, but if you really want to hear what other drivers have to say -- the good, the bad, and everything in between -- you've got to check out, and subscribe to, our driver-focused podcast, Beyond The Road. Hear from drivers and apply to ATS with confidence.