Truck Driver Pay
Truck Driver Pay at Melton Truck Lines
Truck drivers are in high demand, and their earning potential reflects this. Many trucking companies, including Melton, offer competitive pay, with top-earning drivers making up to $100,000 per year. In addition to base pay, drivers can boost their income with bonuses for driver referrals, exceptional performance, and safe driving.
At Melton, there are many opportunities for our drivers to boost their earning potential. Keep reading and learn more about our truck driver pay!
Melton has top-notch equipment, excellent base pay, great bonus programs, and great freight. Melton Truck Lines invests in their drivers by supporting good health and nurturing and mentoring new to the industry drivers with hands-on training. Flatbed trucking is hard work and Melton not only recognizes that, but rewards it with money like the $100 tarp pay.
How Much Do Truck Drivers Make? Driver Salary & More
How much do our truck drivers make per mile? At Melton, our trucking pay per mile is based on verifiable over-the-road (OTR) experience. Once you become a part of the Melton Truck Lines team, you will receive raises to your base trucking pay based on your accumulated months of OTR experience until you drive 120,000 miles with Melton. At that point, a truck driver’s pay increases along with miles driven. Take a look at our pay scale for our CDL drivers!
Qualified Driving Experience |
Pay Rate Per Mile |
| 0-5 months | 52 CPM |
| 6-11 months | 53 CPM |
| 1-3 years | 58 CPM |
| 3+ years | 60 CPM |
| After 120,000 Melton miles | 60 CPM |
| After 240,000 Melton miles | 61 CPM |
| After 360,000 Melton miles | 62 CPM |
| After 600,000 Melton miles | 63 CPM |
| After 900,000 Melton miles | 64 CPM |
| After 1,200,000 Melton miles | 65 CPM |
How Much Do Truck Drivers Make Per Mile?
The average psy for truck drivers ranges from $0.40 to $0.50, depending on experience and type of freight. Truck drivers are typically compensated through cents per mile driven, as opposed to traditional hourly pay rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average truck driver salary is $54,320 per year as of 2023.
We’re proud our truck driver per mile pay falls above the average truck driver pay, along with our many bonus opportunities and chances to earn extra every year. Unlike the average CPM in trucking, our trucking company pays up to 65 cents per mile.
What is the Average Pay Per Mile for Truck Drivers at Melton?
Our average truck driver salary is $65,000 – $75,000 based on OTR experience and tenure with Melton. With additional compensation like tarp pay and career paths, our drivers can earn significantly more.
What is Considered a Good Salary for a Truck Driver?
The average rate per mile for new truck drivers is $0.43 CPM across all types of driving. Our truck driver’s starting pay is at $0.52 CPM – one of the highest truck driver starting pay rates in the industry.
Do Flatbed Drivers Get Paid More?
Yes, flatbed drivers generally get paid a higher CPM rate than standard dry van drivers due to the increased responsibilities of correctly tarping and securing a load. At Melton, this earning potential increases; drivers earn $100 for every load they tarp, adding thousands to their annual income.
What Factors Affect How Much Truck Drivers Make?
Truck driver pay is determined by several factors, including the mode of transport (flatbed, dry van, reefer, etc.), miles driven per pay period, a driver’s prior experience, and the company’s pay structure. Many companies, including Melton, offer bonus incentives and career opportunities to increase earnings.
Do Drivers Get Paid for Training?
Depending on the company, you may be compensated for truck driver training. At Melton, you’ll be paid $800-$1,000 upon completion of our pre-hire evaluation course, plus $100 for each day you are on a trainer truck. Learn more about our pre-hire evaluation program here.
Bonus Trucking Pay Opportunities
Driver’s bonus pay, profit sharing, tarp pay, per diem pay, and additional bonus opportunities could lead to huge increases to our truck drivers’ compensation, on top of our CDL driver’s average weekly pay-per-mile salary of $1,300-$1,500! This means our OTR driver pay is an average of $5,200-$6,000 a month.
Melton offers additional compensation on top of our truck driver’s pay-per-mile salary. These bonus pay opportunities place Melton’s pay and benefits package in the top 10% among North American for-hire trucking companies, meaning our drivers can feel assured and taken care of while on the road.
Driver Referral Bonus
If you refer a driver and they are hired with Melton, you will receive the payouts below as long as you are still an active driver.
Experienced Drivers
$1,000
Total
$500
30 Days After Hire
$500
6 Months After Hire
Recent Grads/No Experience
$750
Total
$375
30 Days After Hire
$375
6 Months After Hire
Tuition Reimbursement for CDL Graduates
Recent CDL school graduates with four or less months of OTR can qualify for Melton’s tuition reimbursement program. Our plan will pay $150 every month up to $10,000! Payments will begin once you are off the Road Training truck at your hire date each month and will continue until fully paid.
If the driver paid less than $10,000 pursuing their CDL the payout will stop at the amount they paid.
Additional truck driving Pay
Melton Truck Lines has doubled tarp pay to $100 per load, adding over $10,000 to annual driver pay. This is in addition to our base over the road truck driver pay, layover and breakdown pay for our truck drivers, among other additional opportunities for hazmat load rates, drivers who complete clean DOT inspections, and more! The extra trucking pay opportunities listed below are paid in addition to our base pay per mile, so our drivers can receive the best compensation package Melton can offer them. Please call 866-715-8653 for details.
| Extra Pay Opportunities | Pay |
| Tarp Pay Rate | $100/load |
| Over-Dimensional Loads Rate | 16 cpm |
| Hazmat Load Rate | 6 cpm |
| Canada Load Rate | 6 cpm |
| Extra pick-up/Drop/Repower | $25 |
| Clean DOT Inspections | $25 |
Holiday Pay
Drivers receive an additional $30 per day for paid holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Layover & Breakdown Pay
Drivers receive $75 after 24-hours and $75 each additional 24-hours of waiting after your last an “Empty Call” request. The amount of breakdown pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Vacation Pay
Drivers receive one week of paid vacation after one year of employment, two weeks after two years, and three weeks after ten years. Vacation pay is based on average weekly wages and is paid on a regular paycheck.
NYC Borough Pay
Drivers receive an additional $75 for traveling into the NYC boroughs. Traveling in NYC is less than 1% of our freight.
Per Diem Pay
Ask about our Per Diem Program that can increase your take-home pay by thousands annually. Our Per Diem Program FAQs can help drivers decide if the program is beneficial for them.
Our truck driver Per Diem Calculator can assist in quickly determining additional take-home amounts.
Fuel Bonus Pay
Drivers have the opportunity to earn an additional $1,500/quarter (up to $6,000 / year) extra for achieving our fuel bonus criteria. We have fuel bonus experts here to advise you on best practices and adjustments you can make to achieve the bonus and maintain consistent MPG.
Career Paths
Melton offers numerous career paths and opportunities for drivers to get involved, have fun, and earn extra cash on top of our base over the road trucking pay.
If you’d like to explore the opportunities we offer our drivers, you can visit our Career Paths page here!
Road Warrior Pay
Melton has added an extra layer of flexibility by providing our OTR drivers the option to choose an additional day of home time or extra cash based on the amount of time they are out on the road.
Want to know how much YOU could be paid as a truck driver at Melton?
More About Truck Driver Pay
Layover vs Detention Pay
Learn what layover pay and detention pay are, the difference between them, and how you can make sure you’re taking advantage of both programs Melton offers.
Learn About Tarp Pay
If you’re new to flatbed, one of the biggest things you’ll need to learn about is tarping and securing. Read more about how tarp pay works in our blog.
How to Earn a Fuel Bonus
Melton offers a quarterly fuel bonus for drivers who surpass a miles per gallon threshold. Learn how to limit fuel consumption and earn some extra cash!