Cents per mile is the headline number on every recruiting ad, which is exactly why it is a poor way to compare offers on its own. A high CPM with low miles pays less than a moderate CPM with steady miles. The number you want is weekly take-home, and getting there takes four questions.
1. What are the real weekly miles?
Ask for the average, not the ceiling. “Up to 3,500” and “averaging 3,500” are different jobs. Ask what a driver in their second month typically runs, because the first two weeks are never representative.
2. Practical miles or short miles?
Practical miles follow the route a truck can actually drive. Short miles — also called household goods miles — use a shorter calculation and can knock several percent off the same run. A carrier paying 70 CPM practical may pay better than one advertising 75 CPM short.
3. What is paid on top of the mileage?
Detention, layover, stop pay, breakdown pay, and bonuses all move the weekly number. So does what you are not paid for. No touch freight matters here: time spent unloading is time not earning miles.
4. What comes out before it hits your account?
This is the question drivers skip and regret. Ask directly whether the position is W-2 or 1099, because it changes your tax bill substantially. On a 1099 you handle self-employment tax yourself and there is no workers compensation. Ask about escrow, equipment deductions, and whether orientation is paid.
A quick way to compare
Take the realistic weekly miles, multiply by CPM, add typical accessorial pay, then subtract anything deducted. Do that for each offer and the ranking usually changes from what the ads suggested.
Our current rates are published on the pay and benefits page. Bring these four questions to that call — any recruiter worth working for will answer them plainly.