Smaggs goes to Marten. My Experience with Marten Transport.

If they started paying practical miles they would be advertising that big time in their commercials. They do have a sliding scale, but subtract 3 cents a mile off your pay to pad their pockets. That's their little per diem fee. They short run you to death, and my average week was about 1600 with a lot of sit time at warehouses, and half of the time not getting detention. Half of my paychecks were so small that my full child support would not get paid due to Federal Laws that say they can't take more than half your paycheck. Do the math. My Child Support was only 168 a week so those weeks where it wasn't paid in full where paychecks 336 or less and there were many. I'm about as hard of a worker as you will find, and made great money at the job before Marten and make great money at my current employer. My time at Marten was a nightmare, and reading this thread I wonder what you consider good miles? Are you OTR or Regional? I was regional. I would have stayed had they run me hard, but the way they ran me I would have made in the $30k to $35k range for the year. I guess if someone went from another big company that paid the same to Marten, they wouldn't know any better, but I'm used to making double that. I would say maybe they just didn't like me, but your thread is the rarity. One thing you said was that short haul paid the same as a big day. I guess if their big day pay sucks too. You said the top pay is .42 a mile. I can't remember the cutoff, but let's say it was a 200 mile day. Well you just made $78 for the day because they skim 3 cent a mile off the top and if you experience was like mine, you had a lot of sit time at shippers and receivers too. When I worked at Marten getting any done at the shop was a nightmare all day ordeal. I really hope they got their act together, and are treating you well. But you did come from Knight, and if memory serves me right, it was the guy from Knight who came to Marten and restructed the pay of a once great company. Maybe they would seem good if your previous experience was with Knight.

 

When I was there in 2010 to 2011 they would pay HHG or Odometer miles. Whichever was less on that trip.

 

Do they still charge you for per diem,

I never did agree with that policy.

 

$0.03 cents per mile for per diam? Based on a 2500 mile week that $75.00 dollars that Marten keeps. Thats $300 dollars a month or $3600 dollars a year.

Thats the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Its amazing on many levels. The drivers give them that much money back, it's LEGAL, and that people drive for companies that scam them like this. BOL with Marten, looks like your going to need it. The more you run....the more YOU pay them. Nice set up. PER DIAM IS A SCAM.

 

Just goes to show ya....per diem is solely for the benefit of the company, no matter how they dress it up to look good for the driver. Anyway Smaggs, glad things are working out for you and that you are happy with your decision so far.