My son tried it. All the big companies wanted were drivers who leased their truck. If you were not willing to lease, you were paid next to nothing, regulated out the wazoo, treated like dog dung and given loads where your 11 hour day included 4 stops...when you were being paid by the mile.
He gave it up and is now bringing in more money getting $9/hour as a security guard. And they wonder why they cannot fill the ‘demand’?
The big guys have driven all the independents out.
Pretty much the same story I hear every day.
Getting paid by the mile is one of the most problematic aspects of a driving career. Under this system, the truck driver ends up bearing the financial burden as well as the heavy personal toll of all the inefficiencies in the motor freight transportation system -- from congestion to Federal hours-of-service rules to inefficient terminal operations where the customer doesn't load or unload the truck very efficiently (and the driver is "on the clock" but isn't getting paid because the truck isn't moving).
I hate to say this, but it's likely that the only way to fix the system is to have the Teamsters make some serious inroads into the trucking industry.
Son got his CDL last year, 28 days on the road, does not do a diabetic any favors. And they knew it when they put him through school. Needs local job so he can control it.