 The per mile basis is most prevalent among larger fleets. Percentage at smaller. Pay per mile tends to dominate discussions about pay just because it's easier to measure. And pay per mile often is wrongly used as the deciding factor in leasing to a carrier. While pay per mile can be a vital factor, it's not a cure for every ill. Nor does it mean a big settlement check is coming in owner-operator's way. Why? Because pay per mile always must be considered in balance with gross revenue as well as total costs.