How trucking pay actually works

Government of Canada Job Bank wage data for Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 73300) (based on 2023-2024 survey data, most recently updated November 19, 2025, checked 2026-09-08) reports the following hourly wage ranges for transport truck drivers -- this is company-driver, hourly-equivalent pay, not owner-operator or per-mile pay, which Job Bank doesn't track the same way.

How does per-mile, hourly, and salary pay differ?

Per-mile pay is the traditional long-haul model: you're paid a rate per mile driven (loaded, and sometimes a lower rate empty), so your pay scales directly with how many miles you run in a pay period. It rewards drivers who can consistently rack up highway miles, but slow-downs -- bad weather, dock delays, breakdowns -- cost you directly since you're often not paid for time spent waiting.

Hourly pay is more common for regional, local, and some LTL (less-than-truckload) driving, where routes are shorter and more of your day is spent loading, unloading, or waiting at docks. Hourly pay means that non-driving time still counts toward your pay.

Salary shows up more with dedicated routes and some team-driving arrangements, giving more predictable pay but less upside if you could otherwise run more miles or hours in a given week.

Cross-border pay

Driving into the US requires a valid passport (a FAST card can speed up border crossings if your employer and the shipper are FAST-certified), a clean-enough driving and criminal record (a DUI can block US entry entirely), and your employer needs a US DOT number and cross-border cargo insurance. Many carriers pay a premium, extra per-trip pay, or higher per-mile rate for cross-border runs to cover the extra paperwork and border wait times, though the size of that premium varies carrier to carrier.

How do hours-of-service rules limit trucking pay?

The federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations cap driving time at 13 hours and on-duty time at 14 hours in a work shift, with a weekly cap of 70 hours on-duty in 7 days under Cycle 1 (or 120 hours in 14 days under Cycle 2), per sections 13, 14, and 26 (checked 2026-09-08). Since per-mile pay only pays for driving time, these limits put a hard ceiling on how many miles -- and how much -- a solo driver can earn in a week, which is one of the reasons team driving exists.

Sources

• Job Bank -- Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 73300), Canada — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
• Job Bank -- Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 73300), Alberta — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
• Job Bank -- Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 73300), Ontario — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
• Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations (SOR/2005-313), sections 13, 14, and 26 — accessed 2026-09-08.

Last checked 2026-09-08.