Understanding pay structures: CPM, hourly, and bonuses

Compare CPM, hourly, and bonus pay for truck drivers in Canada, and see why pay-on-time reviews matter as much as the rate.

Canadian truck driver pay looks simple until you model a slow week. Hourly local work in Ontario can beat a high CPM if you sit for detention. Use reviews to see whether the posted rate actually arrives on settlement day.

Hourly vs CPM

• Hourly: common on local GTA and dedicated lanes. Ask about guaranteed hours and overtime.
• CPM: common on regional and long-haul. Ask about empty miles, border, and pickup/drop pay.
• Percentage or lease: owner-operators need fuel, insurance, and maintenance in the same spreadsheet.

Bonuses that disappear

Safety, fuel, and sign-on bonuses often have clawbacks. Read the contract and search TruckHire comments for “bonus,” “holdback,” and “late pay.” A 4.0 pay-on-time score with “two months late” in a review is a louder signal than a $5,000 sign-on ad.

How to compare two offers

Estimate weekly miles × CPM (or hours × rate), add typical detention, subtract unpaid resets, then look at the company’s pay-on-time average. Open both profiles on the compare page so the four scores sit side by side.