Two drivers can work the same month in the same truck and earn very different money. The difference is rarely the rate written in the contract. It is what the model counts, and what it quietly ignores.
Per kilometre
The simplest model: a rate multiplied by distance. It rewards long runs and punishes everything that is not moving. Before you compare two offers, ask three questions:
- is the rate paid on loaded kilometres only, or on total distance;
- is there a minimum monthly payment when the truck stands still;
- are empty repositioning runs paid at all.
A high rate on loaded kilometres can still produce a low month if half of it is waiting at a dock.
Per day
Predictable and easy to check: a fixed amount for each working day. The risk is the opposite of the kilometre model — a 15-hour day pays exactly like an eight-hour day. Ask whether night-out money, weekend work and overtime after a set number of hours are paid separately.
Per month plus per kilometre
A base salary with a mileage bonus on top. This is common for international work, and it is the model with the most small print. Ask which kilometres count toward the bonus, whether the bonus is capped, and what happens in a month with a long repair or a quiet season.
What is not salary
Per diem and night-out money, tolls, ferries and parking are usually reimbursed separately, and in many countries they are not treated as pay. When you compare two offers, compare the salary line first and the allowances second — mixing them makes every offer look better than it is.
Do the division
A rate per kilometre only becomes comparable when you divide it by the hours you actually spend working. Worked time is not only driving: it is loading, waiting, paperwork, daily checks and the queue at the border.
- 0.12 € per kilometre × 8,000 km = 960 €. At 220 hours worked, that is about 4.36 € per hour.
- 75 € per day × 22 days = 1,650 €. At the same 220 hours, that is 7.50 € per hour.
The monthly totals are far apart, and so is the hourly reality. That is the number worth discussing before you sign.
Currency matters
If you are paid in one currency and live in another, the exchange rate is part of your salary. The salary calculator in Truck Driver works with EUR, USD, GBP and PLN and keeps the calculation attached to the shift, so a rate change in the middle of the month does not turn into an argument at the end of it.
Keep the argument short
When a bonus is missing or a rate changed in the middle of the month, the useful thing is a record made at the time: date, kilometres, hours, rate, note. Truck Driver stores each archived shift with its own pay entry for 24 months, which turns a discussion into a lookup.
Questions to ask before signing
- Which kilometres are paid, and at what rate?
- What is paid for waiting, loading and breakdown time?
- How are weekends, holidays and night work calculated?
- Are per diem and night-out money separate from salary?
- When and in which currency is the salary paid?
- What happens to the bonus in a month with little mileage?
Not legal or tax advice. Pay rules, allowances and tax treatment differ by country and by contract. Check your contract and local rules, and ask for the calculation in writing.