Written by American Miles, a team trucking company that hires drivers. We describe our own terms here and don't rate other carriers. Ask every company you talk to the same questions.
Team trucking companies differ most on five things: whether pay is per driver or split, which miles you're paid on, how often and where you get home, when you get paid, and whether you drive as an employee or a contractor. Pay per mile is only part of the picture. Two offers with the same headline rate can pay very different amounts by Friday. Use the checklist below to compare them side by side.
Big fleets or smaller team carriers?
Both have real strengths. The largest carriers usually offer employee benefits, terminals across the country, more choice of home-time schedules and, often, sign-on bonuses. Their size also means more lanes and more freight to choose from.
Smaller team carriers tend to run fewer, more regular loops, and you're more likely to know your dispatcher by name. The trade-off is fewer terminals and fewer schedule options. Neither is better for everyone. What matters is how the specific offer answers the questions below.
1. Is the rate per driver or split between the two of you?
This is the question that causes the most confusion. Some companies quote a team rate that the two drivers split, so a headline number has to be divided by two. Others pay each driver their own per-mile rate.
Always ask: "Is that rate per driver or per truck?" and "If my co-driver and I run 5,000 miles, what does each of us get?"
At American Miles: each driver has their own per-mile rate, paid on all the miles the truck runs. It's never a split team rate, so you both earn while one drives and the other rests.
2. Which miles are you paid on?
On a team, the truck runs far more miles than either driver drives personally. Some companies pay each driver only on the miles they drove. Others pay both drivers on every mile the truck runs. Also ask how miles are counted, for example practical or shortest route, and whether empty miles are paid.
At American Miles: you're paid by the mile on all the truck's miles.
3. How many miles a week, and how long are the runs?
Team pay depends on the truck staying busy. Ask what a typical week looks like in miles, and whether freight is steady or depends on the spot market.
At American Miles: 6,000+ miles a week on a main team loop, hauling palletized, no-touch freight in 53-ft dry vans on dedicated, contracted routes.
4. Where and how often do you get home?
"Flexible home time" can mean almost anything. Ask how many days you're out, how many days you're home, and where the reset happens. If home time happens at a terminal far from where you live, ask how you get there.
At American Miles: team loops run 5–7 days, and after every loop you get a 2–3 day home-time reset in California.
5. When do you get paid, and what extra pay is there?
Ask how often you're paid and what's paid on top of miles. Detention (waiting at a dock), layovers and bonuses can add up over a month.
At American Miles: $1,700–$1,900 a week per driver, depending on miles and experience. Pay goes out weekly, every Friday, with detention pay, layover pay ($75 after 12 hours, $150 after 24 hours) and safe and on-time bonuses.
6. Employee (W-2) or contractor (1099)?
This changes your take-home pay and your paperwork. A W-2 employee has taxes withheld and may get company benefits. A 1099 independent contractor is paid without withholding, handles their own taxes and usually doesn't get employee benefits. Neither is automatically better, but you should know which one you're signing up for and run the numbers both ways. If you're unsure how it affects your taxes, ask a tax professional.
Also ask who pays trip expenses and whether they're reimbursed.
At American Miles: you drive as a 1099 independent contractor in a company-owned truck. You pay trip expenses as they come up on the road, and American Miles reimburses you.
7. What trucks will you run?
You'll live in that truck for days at a time. Ask the model years, whether it has an automatic transmission, and what the sleeper is like.
At American Miles: company-owned 2025–2027 Freightliner Cascadia, Volvo VNL and Kenworth T680 sleeper tractors, all automatic. Meet the fleet.
8. Do you need a co-driver, and do they hire new drivers?
Some companies only hire established teams. Others will match you with a co-driver or hire couples. If you're new, ask whether they train recent CDL graduates and whether training is paid.
At American Miles: you can apply alone or as a team, and husband-and-wife and other couple teams are welcome. Each of you is paid your own rate. No experience is required: new CDL-A graduates get paid training with an experienced trainer.
Questions to ask any team trucking company
Copy this list into your phone before you call a recruiter:
- Is the rate per driver or split between the team?
- Are both of us paid on all the truck's miles?
- How many miles does a team usually run in a week?
- How many days out, how many days home, and where?
- How often are we paid, and what's paid besides miles?
- Are we W-2 employees or 1099 contractors? Who pays trip expenses?
- What year and model are the trucks? Automatic or manual?
- Do you hire solo applicants, couples and new graduates?
- Who answers the phone at 2 a.m. when a load changes?
On that last one, American Miles runs dispatch around the clock, and a real person answers at 213-943-3006. See how our dispatch works.
What do you need to apply?
Most team trucking companies ask for the same basics. At American Miles that's a CDL-A, age 23 or older, a clean driving record, a valid DOT medical card and a valid Social Security number. New graduates also need their trucking school certificate. Before you apply anywhere, check our CDL and DOT medical card checklist for 2026.
The application takes a few minutes on your phone, and hiring usually takes 3–7 days. See our open team driving jobs or apply now.
Shipping freight?
American Miles runs expedited team truckload freight across the 48 states. Request a quote and we reply within one business day.
