Most companies pay OTR(over the road) drivers a per mile rate. This can be anywhere 28-41 cents depending on the skill level of the driver. That is for long haul big distance. For local and shorter haul the driver is usually paid per hour. Usually 15-20 dollars.
If an over the the road driver runs 2500 miles a week. The driver can expect to make between 700 and 1025 per week. That comes out to 36,000 to 53,000 per year. The bad part about per mile is that if they don’t drive they don’t earn but on the good side if you like to drive a truck then you can make some pretty good money.
Tip: Make sure you have a good dispatcher and get paid for dead head miles.
Small and big trucking companies both have advantages for drivers. Smaller companies may have more incentive to keep drivers happy and larger companies may just treat you as a number. Bigger companies may have better benefits.