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[Video] Team Truck Driver Pay

July 27th, 2023

Samantha Dwyer

Samantha Dwyer

Samantha joined the Anderson Trucking Family in November of 2012 as a specialized driver manager and managed a fleet of mixed company and contractor drivers. In the spring of 2014, she transitioned to the driver administration department and began working in contractor services. While in contractor services, Samantha familiarized herself with all processes, procedures and information in regards to driver contracts, pay and settlements. She is currently the operations support manager and oversees both the contractor services department as well as the driver settlement department and leads both of her teams to ensure our drivers receive the highest level of service required to help navigate their accounts and settlements on a daily basis.

How much money can you expect to make as a team driver? What happens if you’re an independent contractor vs. a lease driver? If you’re considering team driving, you need to first figure out how you’ll get paid and how much you’ll earn. 

I’ll explain how teams are paid. You might be paid cents-per-mile or percentage pay with additional payment for fuel surcharges and accessorials. Be sure you talk to your carrier to see how they’ll pay you or learn about different types of pay in this article.

Your pay will also depend on your carrier, what type of freight you’re hauling and how motivated you are to succeed. For instance, if you can haul freight for the Department of Defense as a team, you’ll earn a great income. Learn more about this freight here.

If you own your truck or you’re leasing it as a team, one driver takes on full financial responsibility and pays the other driver. As a company driver, both drivers are paid directly by the company. Make sure you create a financial agreement and you divide responsibilities. It’s also a good idea to set up a business. 

If you’re deciding whether you should be an independent contractor or a company driver, this article will help you decide.