Pay bands by job type
OTR solo (company)
$68K /yr
Range: $60K – $76K
Over-the-road, 110K+ mi/yr
Regional
$70K /yr
Range: $62K – $78K
Home weekly, 1,500–2,500 mi/wk
Local / dedicated
$60K /yr
Range: $52K – $68K
Home daily, 8–12 hr shifts
Owner-operator (gross)
$198K /yr
Range: $160K – $235K
Before truck, fuel, and ops
Owner-operator figures are gross revenue before truck payment, fuel, insurance, and maintenance — net usually lands $80K–$140K depending on lane mix.
CPM (cents per mile) for OTR solo
$0.54 – $0.70 /mi
Mid-market in Alabama: $0.62/mi. Top quartile fleets pay 6–10¢ more, but require 2+ years experience, clean MVR, and no preventables in the past 12 months.
Sign-on bonuses & accessorial pay in Alabama
- Sign-on bonus: $2,500 – $7,500 (paid in halves: 30 / 90 day)
- Detention: $20 – $25/hr after 2 free hours
- Layover: $150 – $200 per night
- Stop pay: $35 – $60 per additional stop
- Safety bonus: 1–3¢/mi quarterly with no preventables
- Per diem: Up to $69/day (2026 IRS limit) — usually nets +$50–$80/wk after-tax
Hire Alabama CDL drivers with Hayes
Hayes Recruiting Hub gives you a DOT-compliant ATS, 24/7 voice-AI screening, and syndication to Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and the major CDL boards — purpose-built for Alabama fleets paying market or better.