What is EXCELLENT pay for experienced company hands?

In a small company, encouraging a bring your buddy here to drive program is a disaster.

 

The flatbed company I used to work at also paid hub miles. Many people that applied to work there had no idea the amount of extra pay that was compared to HHG or zip to zip mileage pay. Guys would quit to go someplace else for a nickel more a mile and end up losing money because they weren’t paying hub miles.

Offering any insurance, even with a higher deductible, will attract drivers compared to offering none.

 

I'm currently "helping out" with a dedicated account. That account pays "it's" drivers $180-210 per day running mostly short haul loads - d/h at the plant, live or d/h at the customer and dead head back to the plant. Trucks are averaging 350-400 miles per day, 6 trailers per day. I was supposed to help out for the month of December while they got the account up and running. It's now August. There are supposed to be 13 trucks running the account. Currently there are 11 - 5 of which are system trucks who haul 65% of the loads.

The system drivers make:

• 48 cpm base pay
• up to 4 cpm bonus pay (if you aren't hitting top bonus it means you're dumb enough to stick your "most prized possession" in a fan)
• $35 for any load under 50 loaded miles
• an extra 50 cpm for loads between 50 and 100 miles
  
• an extra 15 cpm for loads between 101 and 150
• an extra 5 cpm for loads between 150 and 200

The long and the short of it is that the system drivers are averaging $300 a day. Two of us average $350 a day - leave out Monday morning and in the lay-z-boy by 1900 Friday. Add in a 401K match and health insurance, take away mind boggling "safety" BS and I'm still making more working for a mega than I would with you - and I don't think I'm getting paid enough. A few weeks ago I got an offer for a local gig that paid $1280 a week, home every night, M-F.

At 52 cpm, with no health insurance, no 401K, I would lose money making the switch to you even if you paid practical miles. You might consider enacting a no fee per diem plan, which because you are a moral business man (kudos) and pay w-2 might make you more attractive, but I don't know the administrative headache that might cause with only 15 trucks.

For me, going to work for a small carrier I would be looking for a minimum of 60 cpm without health insurance, plus at least 2 weeks of paid vacation time.

 

This is why I refuse to do miles.

I don't hire for mileage. I hire for opportunity.

 

The drivers you are looking for already have good jobs. Walmart ups etc. You will need to pay 6 figures a year plus enough benefits to kill a horse.

 

If you want someone to stay with you, don't pay less than $1,700 or you will be training new drivers all the time.
By paying $1,300 to $1,500 is such a rip-off!!!!!!
I hate people making money off the hard work drivers put in. They are on call all the time. They don't get extra for detention.
I worked for my brother for a year who took advantage of me. He paid off his loans while I drove like crazy. People who run for that low the whole week are NAIVE and CRAZY.

 

That's kind of what I was feeling as I started reading through this thread. He's offering a great pay package, and decent enough time at home, but I already have a job where I get paid extremely well, and I'm home everyday. Lol

 

Man, YOU ARE CHEAP. Extra $100 for a restart!

 

This sounds harsh, but it's actually pretty fair. I'm somebody with 17 years experience, zero accidents or tickets. You would have to pay me about $1,800 per week to get me to even consider leaving the house ever again. And even then, I'm going to need to be home every week.