Should cpm be changed to hourly for all drivers?

1) With E-Logs now mandatory, a driver’s time is a legal record.
It would be difficult for a driver/employer to pad/short logged hours.

2) Pay by the hour reduces the incentive to speed and drive recklessly.
This would reduce tickets and accidents thus reducing insurance cost.

3) Drivers deserve to be paid for all their time.
A fry cook is paid while waiting for the next wave of orders why shouldn’t a driver be paid for their time waiting? Does a driver do less work driving an empty truck vs a fully loaded truck?

4) Companies can see slackers using E-Logs and deal with them appropriately.

5) Industry wide required change to hourly will unlikely have a huge impact on driver pay at first since companies will adjust hourly to match what a driver would make per mile. However, as time goes on the free market will likely increase pay as honest competition for workers happens.

6) For drivers earning a higher cpm would you not still earn a higher hourly wage as well?

7) The average highway mph and amount of on-duty non driving could be projected so the companies could set rates accordingly. This would also encourage companies to charge for loading/unloading delays since it would cost them instead of the driver.

8) As non-paid time goes away and pay becomes clearer this would likely make driving more palatable for new drivers.

9) While cost for goods and services will likely increase the impact should be minimal since drivers pay is a very small part of the overall supply chain cost.

10) Truck Drivers are a necessary part of the supply chain. Attracting and retaining drivers is critical and the current unpaid time and cpm is not helping.


So simple question. Why not get paid by the hour?

 

It's good to wonder.

 

Why not get paid by the hour?


Let’s see...

Because it would encourage more laziness, more clock burning, and actually...solve nothing.

Instead of looking at the pay/unit/rate look at the check at the end of the week. If it’s worth it, who cares how you’re paid?


If pay/unit/rate keeps the short-sighted persons from entering this line of work...all the better. There are enough steering wheel holders driving around as it is.

I do not understand the fixation on pay...if you enjoy the job, and get compensated fairly...

 

Let’s see...

Because it would encourage more laziness, more clock burning, and actually...solve nothing.
4) Companies can see slackers using E-Logs and deal with them appropriately.

Instead of looking at the pay/unit/rate look at the check at the end of the week. If it’s worth it, who cares how you’re paid?
3) Drivers deserve to be paid for all their time.
I'm glad that you are paid for all your time. Many don't get paid if something outside their control happens.

If pay/unit/rate keeps the short-sighted persons from entering this line of work...all the better. There are enough steering wheel holders driving around as it is.
8) As non-paid time goes away and pay becomes clearer this would likely make driving more palatable for new drivers.
You are being short sighted. If only "steering wheel holders" are applying it will lower overall wages even on the seasoned professionals.

I do not understand the fixation on pay...if you enjoy the job, and get compensated fairly...
If drivers are "get compensated fairly" is the point.

 

No. Not this topic again.

 

Facepalm. Dude, really...


You’re paid for all your time. You hit a dock, you’re paid. You break down, you get delay/breakdown pay. You unload a trailer, you get paid.

Where is this ‘magical’ unpaid time coming from?

Hint. It’s non-existent.

This is an incentive-based pay system, not designed so the hourly shift worker mentality types can feel warm and fuzzy.

 

Again I'm glad you get paid for all of your time. That does not seem to be the case with many.
The last job I did was doing fuel and was paid hourly. I got paid very well for all my time.

Comments like “that doesn’t include whining online” are why the industry is in the state that it is in. I got mine so F the other person attitude is rampant in the industry. Thank you for demonstrating this.

6) For drivers earning a higher cpm would you not still earn a higher hourly wage as well?

I am still interested in why cpm is the best way for the industry to go. But please lets try to have a discussion and not be so emotional over a honest question.

 

We went from CPM (Hub Miles) to ALL HOURLY pay about 18 months ago, here is what we found,

In the short answer Dan S. is correct, "IF" you happen to work for a company that is fair, there is always going to be a limit to what you can make as a driver, because simply put, after the company pays everything there still has to be something left, in that respect, you can only make what the company can afford to pay out, whether that is cpm, hourly or percentage or even salary.

Why did we do it? As an small fleet owner that still drives, I saw all of the coming issues with parking, fueling, detention time, breakdowns, etc, I simply saw hourly pay as a more fair way to treat your driver and retain them.

Do our drivers make more money, yes, going to hourly rate my drivers not only got a bump in weekly totals, but they also are driving less miles, some of this bump is attributed to down time pay that they didn't have under cpm, some of it is because of things out of their control.

Has it cost the company more? In terms of wages, yes, However I do feel as thou we are a more efficient company now and I don't find guys making bad decisions because they aren't always behind.

What did the company gain? I think/hope, my trucks are being taken care of better, I think my guys are happier without worrying how many miles they are going to get this week, I also believe we have our guys home more often, BUT, a lot of that has more to do with a general shift in our working/ scheduling than we had in the past.

Have we had anyone take advantage of the hourly pay? Kinda of, for the most part I think all of our guys try and put there best effort forward, but I do have one driver that consistently logs more hours for less work than anyone else, I have addressed it with him, but honestly, I think he is just not one of those guys that makes the best use of his time and route planning?

Would I do it again? Yes, mainly because I want my guys paid fairly and I want them to stay here, I absolutely HATE hiring and training new people.

 

Terrific post Kansas Transit.

I would think that a company with that pay structure and attitude would have unsolicited applications from top drivers. Since changing over do you find that to be the case?

 

And, there we have it. For a small company? Maybe it would work, and be a good idea.


Speaking from experience... I can assure you that when pay is no longer associated with work done, but rather on hourly or salaried rate, drivers suddenly become clock burners, looking solely to put in time without accomplishing any work for the company.

The end result? There is an upper limit of what you’ll make. How it’s paid out, is pretty much immaterial.

This is a mindset issue, not a pay issue. If you choose to look at the glass as half empty, that’s on you.