Last company I drove before I got ill was paying me 49 cents a mile, 44cpm base and I would take all the bonus loads as they were the most fun, ave 7.5 miles per gallon on flat and 5 on mountains, and almost always 750 miles circle around Columbus, Ohio and this covers like 80% of population of USA. So trucking companies charge more per mile for short runs and the trucker gets screwed cause NOW truckers get $15-25 an hour past 2 hours shipper or receiver has 2 hours to put in/take freight and then they go by minutes of paying $100-$150 an hour, so gets small amount, also companies no longer allow trailers to be used by other companies for free as storage, plus much more JIT(just in time) loads instead of moving more product than they need and leave in free storage containers.
Felons, some companies mostly hire felons, felon must get job when they get out and get screwed even on outside cause constant parole officers make sure they working, so companies offer 17cpm(Cents per Mile) which is close to nothing, and U.S. government pays the company half of this, health insurance is like three times what I would have to pay for BCNS and $15 a week. Often these other companies make felon sign documents that allow company to collect on flat tires, steer tires have to be brand new and go for $800-1500 each, whereas rethreads like $500 each, don't know cost of one huge tires that are rated like if trailer had 2 tires, they might be cheaper tire, but trucker not allowed to drive if he gets a flat then you have to call road service to come out to replace on the shoulder. So many tricks to screw overall uneducated truck drivers where they can't take any time off to pay the bills at home.
The big money in trucking is not where most think. Very very dangerous, I did 4 months in Alaska, took ten years off my life, those shows on TV are bullcrap, with polar bears that come out of nowhere to minus 80 degrees, you have to change flats, if you pass a truck on the road and don't check it out, Troopers put you in jail, don't take long to freeze to death, you can make pretty fair over $100k, but everything there is fricking expensive. Beautiful skies, a good 2.5 months you just learn to drive on ice everywhere, weeks go by before take off the chains and you have to learn how to put in links, learn how to piece thing back together on plastic ties and duck tape. Almost went through ice on lake, steer tires got stuck fifteen feet from shore, was lucky as two trucks chained from trailers to hooks on truck and pulled it out, man I was shaking. Yea, bad idea that would be fun, but did learn how to drive on ice better and got real good at chaining. But first several times thought I was having a heart attack, they have double chains you have to drag across both tires and if you lack upper body Muscles, you will build them up fast, man they are heavy, always dirty when taking them off and glad you have 24 bungee cords to tighten them up, even put cables on steer tires and smaller bungee cords. Before this never did flatbed, I have appreciation for guys that do that now, don't remember all the times got hurt putting on tarps cause of the wind, tarp become like a sail. Dock workers make bets on who they going to call EMS to take to hospital, LOL, you get $200 to put on tarps, hell if I could find someone to put them on, I would, but $200 in Alaska isn't much in some areas.
Some of the bridges were so steep, you start at ten miles an hour, never touch the gas petal and at bottom you tapping brakes every so little and going 110mph cause you have to go back up on other side and of course it is ice road, not all trucks make it up, then slide backwards all the way down or jackknife.
Car hauling pays well, you make most putting cars on/off trailers, often times to just go to railroad yard in city then to car dealers in same city, another dangerous job of climbing on the rails of trailers when icy, windy and raining, praying that nothing falls down, you chained down vehicles hard enough to be able to get under 13'6" bridges, if half inch too high, will have convertibles. Did that for six months, I am 6'6" tall and was 350lbs, so hard for me to fit through the side windows, and not all cars running and owners no where to be seen, have to push damn thing up lower ramp, pay guys to help push it 30 feet like you back playing football. Hauling for government was fun, no logbook, always an escort of jeeps, solders with guns, stop every 2 hours to check trailer, sleep in motel each night, company making huge money as I was salary of 2 G's a week. that was fun, never knew where I was going till I got there, wow, mountains carved out and helicopters take entire trailer into the mountain. And yet hauling explosives, not much money there........ I didn't do it but drivers do well hauling wrestling shows, they usually have double sets, so next town is being set up while playing in town at one location, drivers usually help put up sets.
I love driving, love the freedom, being home for so long can't stand it, I love just getting away and so much of America is so different from another state right next door, some parts of deep South is still confederate, they flying just the Confederate flag out front, better not be AA and go inside to ask for directions. Some places are like they never went past 1938.