How do I find a driver for my truck and trailer?

She probably wants to take that advertising fee out of your first paycheck.

 

My perspective is that 1099, percentage and "whatever we can load back" are all factors that increase the risk tor the driver.

Combine that with wanting a quality driver with lots of experience. Guys with stable employment records aren't looking to take on a lot of risk. They've got a good gig with very little risk already.

Guys with stable employment records are typically married and have a family. I can tell you, Momma ain't going to sign up for a "whatever we can get" type setup with no benefits, vacation, or over time. Momma bear has three cubs at home she needs to feed, clothe and send to school while making the house payment. She's going to look at "percentage" and "1099" and put the veto boom on that before Daddy bear ever completes the sentence.....

If you want a good, stable, experienced driver, you are just going to have to treat them like they are one. Put together a pay package that works for Pappa bear and Momma bear. Decent pay (doesn't have to be top of the market, but decent), income guarantees (you are the entrepreneur, you get to take the risks), benefits (if nothing ele, put together a Simple IRA program) with health insurance and vacation.

 

I wish the OP would return to engage us to help out, it seems that we get this too much.

I agree to a point, I offered some of these things in the past but they were not cost effective nor really wanted by a majority of the drivers. Health care excluded.

However I figured out that those really good drivers want control, they are capable of making money, just on the edge of ownership (which a bunch have gone off to own their own trucks and even bought from me to get started) and this control allowed them to make the decisions that they thought was needed to maximize the money without maxing out their energy - work smarter not harder.

I have very few of them complained about how things are, most are working what they feel is what they want, many of them are over six digits net. What I make was set as a goal of 8% which is not to be touched for another 5 or so years, it accumulates and has better returns than anything else. Sure I could squeeze it up to 15% or like many owners 26% but that means I will have to be more involved with everything and lose drivers in the process.

 

Yet it amazes me most don't seem to get it. 22% on a 1099 is a kick to the nuts for an experienced hand. 30% on a w2 is pretty much standard. 40% on a 1099 is what I'd want and you better have some good freight not 2$ mile bs

 

@Ridgline, you make a great point, and that is that as a carrier you don't need to attract ALL drivers, just the drivers you want. In your operation, hiring those "close to becoming O/O's" works for you; what they bring to the table is more valuable than the negative of turnover.

It would NOT work for me, at all. In my operation, turn over is hell, because of the training involved with the live cargo, the limited number of drivers that can go to Canada and the small local labor pool. So my objective is to find good drivers and KEEP THEM. Treat them right, pay them right, and in turn they work hard and treat me right.

I recognize that every operation is different, and the ideal driver is different for every operation. The assumption I made is that for an OD/OS operation, experience and stability would seem to be a very high priority due to the training requirements with noobies and improved performance by veterans.

In any case, hiring should be like dating. Figure out what kind of person you are looking for, and then figure out what it takes to attract THAT person.

 

After fuel surcharge deduction, I was just offered a 50/50 split of the settlement.