How do I convert cents per mile to an hourly rate?

Multiply your CPM by average weekly miles to get weekly gross, then divide by realistic on-duty hours rather than driving hours. At 62 CPM and 2,400 miles a week that is $1,488, and across 65 on-duty hours it works out at about $22.89 an hour.

Why does the same CPM pay different hourly rates?

Because miles per week vary enormously with freight type. Long-haul drop-and-hook work generates far more paid miles per on-duty hour than local multi-stop work with live loading. The rate on the recruitment flyer tells you very little without the average weekly mileage alongside it.

Is detention time paid?

Sometimes, and usually only after a threshold — commonly two hours at a shipper or receiver. Policies vary widely between carriers, and it is one of the largest differences between two jobs advertising the same CPM. Always ask for the written accessorial schedule.

How many hours a week do truck drivers actually work?

On-duty time frequently reaches 60 to 70 hours a week, constrained by the 70-hour eight-day limit under hours-of-service rules. Driving time is capped at 11 hours per 14-hour on-duty window, so a substantial share of on-duty hours generate no miles and therefore no mileage pay.

Do owner-operators earn more per hour?

Gross revenue per mile is much higher, but operating costs of roughly $0.94 to $1.56 per mile absorb most of it. After fuel, payments, insurance, maintenance and self-employment tax — and with no employer-paid benefits or paid time off — net earnings often land near a strong company driver rate, with considerably more risk.

Salary to Hourly Calculator for Truck Drivers

Truck driving is paid by the mile, which means the hourly rate is not a property of the job offer — it is a property of the freight. The same 62 cents per mile can work out at $28 an hour on long open-road runs or $16 an hour on short regional work with heavy loading and waiting, and nothing on the recruiter's sheet distinguishes the two.

Convert your weekly earnings into an hourly figure by entering realistic on-duty hours rather than driving hours alone. The sections below cover why the two differ so much, and which questions actually predict what a mileage rate will pay out to.

Annual salary

Gross, before tax and deductions.

Currency

Hours per week

Use what you really work, not what's contracted.

Weeks per year

Paid time off (optional)

Adds an effective hourly rate based on hours you are actually at work.

Paid holidays

Vacation days

Hourly rate

$24.00

Based on 3,000 scheduled hours a year.

Per day: $288.00
Per week: $1,440.00
Every two weeks: $2,880.00
Per month: $6,000.00

All figures are gross, before income tax, payroll deductions and benefits. Take-home pay depends on where you live and your personal situation.

Starting values are set for a typical truck drivers scenario — change any field to match yours. Need the plain version? Salary to Hourly Calculator.

The same CPM, very different hourly rates

Miles per week is the variable that decides everything, and it is driven by freight type rather than by effort. Figures assume 62 cents per mile.

62 CPM across freight profiles
Profile	Miles/week	Weekly gross	On-duty hrs	Effective hourly
OTR long haul, drop and hook	2,800	$1,736	65	$26.71
OTR mixed	2,400	$1,488	65	$22.89
Regional, multiple stops	1,900	$1,178	60	$19.63
Local with heavy loading	1,200	$744	55	$13.53
Dedicated route, consistent	2,600	$1,612	58	$27.79

The lowest hourly figure comes from the same pay rate as the highest. When comparing jobs, ask about average weekly miles before anything else.

On-duty time that mileage pay does not cover

Federal hours-of-service rules cap driving at 11 hours within a 14-hour on-duty window. The gap between those two figures is largely unpaid under a pure mileage structure.

Loading and unloading, particularly on live loads where you are waiting at a dock.
Detention time at shippers and receivers. Many carriers pay detention only after two hours, and only sometimes.
Pre-trip and post-trip inspections, required every day.
Fuelling, scaling, and DOT inspections.
Traffic and weather delays, which cost hours without adding miles — this is why winter and congested lanes pay worse at the same CPM.
Deadhead miles to reach a load, paid at a lower rate or not at all depending on the carrier.
Accessorial pay — stop pay, detention, layover, breakdown — is where the difference between a good and bad mileage job usually lies. Ask for the full accessorial schedule, not just the CPM.

Company driver versus owner-operator

Owner-operator revenue per mile looks dramatically better until costs are subtracted. The comparison is only meaningful net of everything the company driver does not pay for.

Indicative cost per mile for an owner-operator
Cost	Typical per mile
Fuel	$0.45 to $0.70
Truck payment or lease	$0.20 to $0.35
Insurance	$0.10 to $0.18
Maintenance and tyres	$0.15 to $0.25
Permits, licensing, tolls, scales	$0.04 to $0.08
Total operating cost	$0.94 to $1.56

Against gross revenue of $1.80 to $2.50 per mile, net to the driver often lands close to a good company CPM — with the addition of business risk and no employer benefits. Self-employment tax and downtime make the gap narrower still.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert cents per mile to an hourly rate?: Multiply your CPM by average weekly miles to get weekly gross, then divide by realistic on-duty hours rather than driving hours. At 62 CPM and 2,400 miles a week that is $1,488, and across 65 on-duty hours it works out at about $22.89 an hour.
Why does the same CPM pay different hourly rates?: Because miles per week vary enormously with freight type. Long-haul drop-and-hook work generates far more paid miles per on-duty hour than local multi-stop work with live loading. The rate on the recruitment flyer tells you very little without the average weekly mileage alongside it.
Is detention time paid?: Sometimes, and usually only after a threshold — commonly two hours at a shipper or receiver. Policies vary widely between carriers, and it is one of the largest differences between two jobs advertising the same CPM. Always ask for the written accessorial schedule.
How many hours a week do truck drivers actually work?: On-duty time frequently reaches 60 to 70 hours a week, constrained by the 70-hour eight-day limit under hours-of-service rules. Driving time is capped at 11 hours per 14-hour on-duty window, so a substantial share of on-duty hours generate no miles and therefore no mileage pay.
Do owner-operators earn more per hour?: Gross revenue per mile is much higher, but operating costs of roughly $0.94 to $1.56 per mile absorb most of it. After fuel, payments, insurance, maintenance and self-employment tax — and with no employer-paid benefits or paid time off — net earnings often land near a strong company driver rate, with considerably more risk.