Start With Pay — But Look Past the CPM

Cents per mile is the number one question almost every driver asks when calling a recruiter, but it is also one of the least reliable ways to compare carriers. Two drivers running the same route for different companies at the same CPM can end up with very different paychecks — because of how mileage is calculated, what accessorial pay looks like, and whether detention and layover pay is actually paid or just advertised. Make sure you look at gross earnings.

Here is what the industry looks like on pay in 2026:

• Industry range: Experienced OTR company drivers typically earn $0.45 to $0.65 CPM at major truckload carriers. That range puts the average weekly gross somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500 for a driver running 2,300 to 2,500 miles.
• Large national carriers: Several large national truckload carriers start experienced drivers between $0.41 and $0.55 CPM, with pay that climbs slowly — in some cases capped around $0.50 CPM without years of tenure at that specific company.
• Mid-size OTR carriers: Some mid-size carriers targeting team drivers advertise mileage-based pay but have tied bonuses to fuel economy metrics that are not fully in the driver's control. Driver reviews from 2026 describe weekly gross of around $1,200 for 5,500+ miles — well below industry average on a per-mile basis.

Roehl Transport approaches pay differently.

Roehl has repeatedly been recognized for driver pay (among many other things). You should know that CEO Rick Roehl maintains his CDL and still hauls loads for the company to stay close to the work Roehl drivers do for customers. And, two of the company’s values are Innovation & Delivering Success; those factors are what lead to many advancements in Roehl driver pay.

First, rather than an old flat CPM, Roehl uses Dynamic Pay Plans that compensate drivers based on their time and performance — not just miles. That matters because length of haul continues to shrink across the trucking industry.

Second, Roehl drivers get full Address-to-address practical mileage. Most carriers still pay on HHG (Household Goods) or short miles. Even the carriers that moved to practical route mileage are going to be shorter than the miles you actually drive. Because Roehl calculates miles using the full starting address to the full delivery address, Roehl drivers are compensated for more of the miles they actually put on the truck.

Third, Safety is Roehl’s cornerstone value, and Roehl pays for your safe performance as you drive with Accident-Free Pay. Rather than waiting for a quarterly bonus (or annual safety bonus), Roehl drivers earn it as they drive.

Another Roehl perk is Full Per Diem Reimbursement that reduces your taxable income and increases your net weekly take-home without the typical CPM “haircut” most competing carriers take.

Home Time & Having a Life Outside the Truck

"Great home time" is on every trucking company’s recruiting website. It means almost nothing without specifics. What experienced drivers need to know is whether home time is guaranteed or aspirational, how it is structured, and what happens when freight does not cooperate.

Here is what home time looks like across the industry:

• Industry standard OTR: The most common OTR home time policy is roughly one day off per week out — meaning if you are gone three weeks, you might get three days home. In practice, driver reviews from multiple large national carriers describe weekends shifting unexpectedly and home time that is difficult to plan around.
• Large national Truckload carriers: Regional fleets at large carriers often guarantee weekly home time, but OTR fleets are more variable. One large national carrier's OTR drivers consistently report in 2026 reviews that routes change often and weekend home time is not reliable.
• Mid-size OTR carriers: Some mid-size carriers have been called out in driver reviews for counting breakdown time away from home as home time — meaning if your truck breaks down in another state, that time counts against your scheduled days off.

Roehl’s Home Time

More than half of Roehl drivers are home weekly, and many drivers are home on weekends. Roehl’s national fleets are out 11-14 days and then you’re home 3 days, and they offer flexible home time – stay out longer and stay home longer.

Roehl also has HOMEtime PLUS™ fleets in some areas. These fleets offer predictable home time that drivers can depend on. From part-time driving scheduled like 7 days on, 7 days off that gives drivers up to 26 weeks off per year to 7/4, 7/3 fleets that feature a week of driving followed by 4 days off then a week of driving followed by 3 days off.

Roehl also has many home daily drivers who, unlike traditional local driving jobs, don’t take a huge pay cut to be home every day.

Equipment: "Newer" Is Not a Number

Every carrier describes their equipment as newer, well-maintained, or best-in-class. Almost none of them publish an average fleet age. That vagueness is worth paying attention to.

When you are evaluating a carrier's equipment, the questions to ask are:

• What is the average truck age? “Newer" is not a number.
• How do you measure equipment & driver downtime?
• What does your preventative maintenance look like?

Roehl's fleet is less than two years old, and Roehl measures time in the shop in minutes – not days like most trucking companies. New equipment means fewer breakdowns, better fuel economy and more cab comfort. If there is a problem, Roehl moves quickly to get you up and running again – that means less time sitting at a shop waiting for repairs that eat into your weekly miles and paycheck.

Freight Type: The Dimension That Changes as Your Career Matures

Early in a trucking career, a driver may take what they can get. As experience builds, freight type starts to matter more — not just for pay, but for the other elements of the job.

No-touch and drop-and-hook freight is not just a convenience. For a driver five, ten, or fifteen years into their career, it is a legitimate quality-of-life issue. Touch freight — unloading trailers, lumping, or handling freight at the dock — adds hours, physical wear, and time to every load.

Here is where the industry stands:

• Industry average: No-touch freight availability varies widely by carrier and fleet type. Many carriers do not publish a specific percentage.
• Large national intermodal carrier: One large national carrier with a strong intermodal and dedicated network reports approximately 70 percent drop-and-hook on select fleets per driver accounts — solid, but not consistent across all divisions.
• Large national carriers broadly: Most major truckload carriers do not publish a specific no-touch or drop-and-hook percentage for their general fleet.

Roehl’s van division has 95% no-touch freight across the fleet. For an experienced driver evaluating where to take their career next, that number is meaningful — and the fact that it is published and specific makes it verifiable.

Safety Culture: What It Looks Like from the Driver's Seat

A safety culture is easy for a company to claim and hard for a driver to evaluate from the outside. The most reliable signals are third-party recognition, FMCSA safety scores, and what drivers say about a company. Roehl has hundreds of drivers with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 million safe miles.

Check out driver reviews and look for drivers who describe a dispatch environment that does not pressure drivers into hours-of-service violations and an equipment maintenance standard that takes breakdowns seriously.

Things That Do Not Show Up in a CPM Rate

Experienced drivers know that two carriers can post the same cents per mile and deliver very different careers. The factors that tend to separate a good long-term fit from a frustrating short stint are the ones recruiters do not always lead with:

• Benefits: Benefits can be confusing to compare because most companies will offer health, dental and vision insurances. What other benefits does the company offer? For example, in addition to those traditional coverages, Roehl also offers both short-term and long-term disability insurance, voluntary insurance benefits, an employee assistance program, an employee wellness program, paid time off, a rider policy and a pet policy – perks that really make a difference.
• Profit-sharing: Roehl Transport offers a 401k as an employee benefit, AND Roehl offers one of the top profit-sharing contributions among US trucking companies. Most large national carriers in this comparison do not offer a comparable profit-sharing program.
• Dispatcher relationship: Roehl is family-owned, and driver reviews in 2026 consistently describe fleet managers as accessible and respectful. Truck driver turnover at Roehl is lower than the industry average — which is a meaningful signal about what the day-to-day experience looks like.
• The CEO has done the job: CEO Rick Roehl is also a licensed CDL driver. He started out in the business, and in addition to driving, he’s worked in many other departments. That experience informs how the company works with drivers across the entire business.
• Pay transparency: This is key. Roehl publishes earnings based on real driver wages — updated regularly, with actual figures for what the average and top 50 percent of drivers earn. That kind of transparency is rare in an industry where pay is often kept deliberately opaque until orientation or after.

What the Comparison Comes Down To

Experienced drivers switching carriers are not looking for a company that will take a chance on them. They are looking for a company that has earned the right to their experience — one that pays fairly, gets them home on a schedule they can count on, puts them in equipment they can be proud of, and values their experience.

Based on publicly available data across pay, home time, equipment, freight type, safety, and culture, Roehl Transport holds a measurable advantage over the industry in nearly every category that experienced drivers say matters most.

The numbers are published. The record is public. The drivers who have made the switch have said their piece in reviews you can check.

If you are an experienced driver evaluating your next move, the best next step is to look at the specifics — not the headline CPM, but the full picture. Roehl values driver success and wants all teammates to Thrive!

See Roehl's full pay and benefits breakdown for experienced drivers at roehl.jobs/driving-jobs/experienced-drivers/experienced-pay-and-benefits