Companies with Legitimate Weekly Guarantees?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by insipidtoast, Jan 25, 2023.

  1. insipidtoast

    insipidtoast Heavy Load Member

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    What companies (for experienced drivers or for rookies) have weekly guarantees? I've seen a couple (kb transport and GP transco) for example where they say weekly guarantee, but then you read all these reviews saying that they don't really honor the promise.

    Are any of those guarantees obtainable with companies or is there too much fine print of excuses that make those payments impossible in practice?
     
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  3. insipidtoast

    insipidtoast Heavy Load Member

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    For example, here's a review that is pretty telling:

    The equipment is excellent. You will have a newer tractor with a refrigerator, inverter and microwave. That's the only good thing I have to say about it. Expect to spend nearly as much time loading and unloading as you spend driving. On average, it's a 45/55 split that can go both ways. They are mostly shorter hauls, with an average of 8 to 10 hours per load combined loading and unloading. Because of this, expect your paycheck to be wrong about 75% of the time, and you will have to negotiate to get paid for. As the problems with the freight are everyday normal in this company, eventually they will get tired of paying you and will stop honoring detention / layover / the weekly pay minimum guarantee. They will accomplish this by changing how they interpret the policy. Additionally, you should expect to work at least 14 hours a day. You will have to use a split sleeper berth to extend your work day if you want to keep your load on schedule when detained. So you will be working 14 to 17 hours per day for a rolling average of just over 2,000 miles per week (if you drive the way you're supposed to, not speeding through construction etc.) and all you can count on getting paid for sure is the mileage. Thankfully, the per mile rate is competitive. Not the highest, but competitive. Also, they use a computer program to plan loads based on a default speed (similar to the way Google Maps assumes 65 mph at all times) with no allowance for loading/unloading time (like your mail carrier dropping off an envelope then pulling away from the curb.) All loads will be short-scheduled by default, and you're expected to make time. They expect 700 miles per day (when your not hooked to a dock for 15 hours.) I've been driving over 10 years and have had less problems with both load scheduling and getting paid from brokers. So, when you think of the usual problems drivers get from brokers, it's like that, but worse. Except for the equipment.​
     
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  4. Redtwin

    Redtwin Road Train Member

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    Oakley food grade has a daily pay guarantee $350. They only pay 6 days a week though. The driver I spoke to says he gets that much regardless of miles driven. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were safety bonuses etc tied into that.
     
  5. insipidtoast

    insipidtoast Heavy Load Member

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    Or something like, "Well you could've done split sleeper while they were taking 8 hours to load you at the shipper and then you could've ran the load overnight even though you didn't really sleep while you were in the sleeper berth and you've been driving daytime hours the past six weeks."
     
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  6. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    Quality Carriers had weekly pay guarantee for the Nashville yard. I think it was $1250 per week or the pay you earned, if it was more than the guarantee. It's hard to tell if the weekly pay guarantee is designed to be impossible to receive or if the lazy or incompetent drivers at the company are complaining they can't get the guarantee and still sleep 12 hours per day and have weekends at home, etc.
     
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  7. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    If you do reefer you will need to do lots of split sleeper. There's little way to NOT do split sleeper unless you find a dedicated drop & hook reefer gig.
     
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  8. Lostmykey

    Lostmykey Medium Load Member

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    I’ve not had any issues with my dedicated acct minimum guarantee at kllm; I only didn’t get it once when I thought I should’ve (modified my behavior to avoid that situation again), and they’ve given it to me when I know I didn’t qualify.

    Our regionals with the minimum guarantee are worded differently, “must be available 14hrs each day.” Other posters here have claimed being denied the minimum; I haven’t had any direct encounters to regionals in a while so can’t verify. Talking with our regional drivers is on my todo list.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2023
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  9. Turtlelegs

    Turtlelegs Light Load Member

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    Bowerman pays a salary. It isn't a guaranteed minimum but their drivers seem to like it.
     
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