Trucker Life · Texas · November 1, 2026

Texas Trucker Says Over-the-Road Pays Good Money, but Only When the Wheels Keep Turning

By Big Rig Daily Staff

A 27-year-old Texas trucker who goes by Mell says over-the-road trucking pays good money, but only for truck drivers who keep the miles coming. She shared her story with PEOPLE in an interview published Oct. 31 and carried by Yahoo. She asked that her last name be withheld.

How she got started

Mell has driven over the road for almost five years. She met truckers while working at a travel stop. In 2021, one of them offered to show her the ropes. She earned her commercial driver's license (CDL), and she now team drives with that same trucker.

Life as a team

She usually takes the day shift and her co-driver takes nights. Each of them drives up to 11 hours, "because we are only allowed to drive 11," she said. For more on that limit, see Big Rig Daily's explainer on electronic logs and hours-of-service rules.

Time at home is limited. "Sometimes I'll do 40 days on the road, and then I'll do a week at home or even longer than that," she said.

What she says about pay

Mell was direct about how the pay works. "If you are not running hard, you will not make money. That's the misconception," she said, adding, "But truck drivers do make good money." She summed it up this way: "Miles equals money. If you don't make any miles, you will not make any money."

The interview did not give dollar figures for her pay, and Big Rig Daily is not guessing at them. What she describes is a pay system tied to miles, which is common in over-the-road trucking. How waiting at a dock fits into that system is a long-running debate, and Big Rig Daily has covered it in a report on pay pauses and dock hours.

The hardest part of the job

Asked what is hardest, she pointed to other people on the road: "having to deal with the other drivers on the road who are very inconsiderate of truck drivers."

Her plans

Mell said she will "probably never change" from over-the-road work. For readers weighing the different ways to run a truck, Big Rig Daily has a guide to owner-operator versus company driver.

Quick facts

• Who: "Mell," 27, a Texas-based over-the-road trucker. Her last name was withheld at her request.
• Experience: almost five years.
• Setup: team driving, with Mell on days and her co-driver on nights.
• Time out: sometimes 40 days on the road, then a week or more at home.
• Pay: no dollar figures were given.

FAQ

How long does Mell stay on the road at a time?

She said she sometimes spends 40 days on the road, followed by a week at home or longer.

How did Mell get into trucking?

She met truckers while working at a travel stop, and in 2021 one offered to show her the ropes. She got her CDL and now team drives with him.

What does Mell say about over-the-road trucking pay?

She says truck drivers make good money, but only if they keep running. In her words, "Miles equals money."

A question for readers

Should truckers still be paid by the mile when so much of the day can be spent waiting?

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