What drivers want: more mileage, more pay

The results of the annual Commercial Carrier Journal survey, conducted in collaboration with Netradyne, “What Drivers Want,” have now been published.

The results of the annual Commercial Carrier Journal survey, conducted in collaboration with Netradyne, “What Drivers Want,” have now been published. One of the study’s main findings was the decline in miles driven among participating drivers, a factor closely tied to the wages they earned throughout the year.

According to information shared by CCJ, the percentage of drivers who logged between 125,000 and 150,000 miles dropped to just 9%, down from 16% reported last year. As a result, the number of drivers earning more than $100,000 decreased by 7%, while those earning $50,000 or less increased by 6%.

What drivers want: pay and stability

The survey results show that the common denominator behind declining miles and wages is the lack of work available for truck drivers. This situation stems from more than three years of falling freight rates and rising operating costs, which have limited retention strategies and prevented fleets from offering more work or better pay.

This crisis is also reflected in drivers’ income expectations: 43% expect to earn the same this year, while 41% expect to earn less. Only 17% remain optimistic, hoping for an increase in earnings.

Many drivers believe that recent licensing reforms—focused on English proficiency and non-resident commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders—will help raise freight rates and driver wages.

Reflecting this sentiment, the survey shows that a large share of drivers would be willing to switch fleets if offered better compensation (41%). Other reasons for switching include route selection and type of freight (22%). In contrast, only 6% would change jobs to get more miles or loads, and no company drivers said they would leave solely for a sign-on bonus.

Additionally, the survey highlights that despite declining miles and wages, bonuses remain an important part of driver compensation. Regarding pay structures, per-mile pay continues to be the predominant method (33%), followed by percentage-based pay (27%), especially among leased owner-operators (58%). Among company drivers, 16% are paid through a combination of hourly and per-mile pay.

What drivers want: preferred pay structures

Most company drivers (60%) report being paid for all miles, including empty backhaul miles. Among leased operators, the majority is smaller (41%), and for many of them the next most common system is short miles (27%), which almost always pays less than the actual miles driven. This system is also the second most common among company drivers (23%).

In line with current economic uncertainty, drivers’ preferred pay structures are split among:

Hourly pay (26%)
A combination of hourly and per-mile pay (24%)
Percentage-based pay (22%)

Company drivers show a stronger preference for hourly pay (35%), while contracted drivers overwhelmingly prefer to keep percentage-based pay (48%), with combined pay being their second choice (15%).