Pay Policies

Though it may seem that shorting pay miles is unfair, it is highly unlikely that a court will ever find it illegal. Mainly because Carriers determine a single mileage method for paying drivers, and use many different methods for billing shippers. A good example would be where a shipper insists on using a different mileage formula than the one the carrier uses for driver pay. Another example- carriers often use brokers in areas where they don't have a freight base. Brokers almost exclusively want flat-rate quotes, and quite often the carrier LOSES money after the driver is paid, because the rates are so bad in many low freight areas. In that case, it's a double edged sword. Should the carrier be allowed to cut your pay when the rate on bad paying loads causes them to lose money, if they are required to pay you hub miles on the better paying loads?

As far as court precedent-

There is an ongoing class action lawsuit against Swift Transportation that was recently revived:

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Misc/misc.transport.trucking/2008-08/msg00434.html


In addition, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that overtime shall be paid to drivers who run certain irregular long haul routes:

http://www.bullivant.com/showarticle.aspx?Show=4505



This should be a good starting point if you want to pursue it further.

 

In most cases, when a new driver signs on, the co. tells the driver how they pay. The co. doesn't discuss how they bill the customer because the co. figures it isn't the drivers business and the co. might be getting a flat rate, household or zip miles. All in all, the co. figures that if the driver wants to drive for them they will take the way they get paid. Kinda sad but that real life in the trucking world.

 

companies don't often advertize this fact... but you can get paid additional miles... under limited circumstances.

if a company is paying shortest route miles then you should be driving those miles, and if you do your pay will be, on average, extremely close (within 1-2% over a period average).

most companies let you choose your route and are quite careful at squaking if you take a route that may be slightly farther mileage wise as long as you are heading in the general direction (running the interstate vs all those red lines) the fact you chose the fastest, quickest, easiest route is your choice and most often to your mutual advantage.

(limited circumstance) they are paying you to run the shortest route, If you try to run the shortest route and it is blocked for some reason; weather and not plowed, closed, bridge is out, or the truck designation has changed and you are no longer allowed to travel that route, being forced to take another, keep track of your (REQUIRED) additional mileage to get back on route and they will pay you for your (required) out of route mileage.

now truthfully, it isn't worth your time to fill out the paper work on any given run, and running all those red lines would be so detrimental to your overall pay performance that you simply won't come out ahead.

but

they will pay you or you can take them to court.

its like an hourly employee being required to work over time... fine but they gotta pay you or fire you...

most of our routes, out of waterloo, going north, are almost dead on mileage wise. 239 paid and 241 actual. why? no freeways... lol run takes forever thru every turd pile town along the way...

heading west, some are 10% out, being the smart guy I thought I was... I ran the short miles... almost dead on... took an extra 1.5 hours to make that $3.00

its trucking...