One thing you haven't mentioned is the added stress (hidden of course) you undergo while driving at higher speeds and doing longer miles. The very best road job IMHO is one completed in an 8-hour workday. I could never understand why drivers want to drive longer miles/hours when we get paid by the mile and don't get premium pay after a normal 8 hour workday. Why work longer hours at a comparatively lower pay rate after the 8?
We had a minimum running time, if your truck ran 75 or 46 mph, clocking in before that time you got you a warning letter.
I always liked driving a 72 mph once in a while, but it was stressful, you wore out your mirrors looking behind
Don't care what anyone thinks, highways were a lot safer when we had the 55 mph speed limit.
I made just as much money and had as much off time.