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(800) USA-HURT |
TransAlive USA |
Internet Edition 2008.01 |
Transportation Industry Needs to Address Driver Benefits in the 21st Century
This is not a pleasant subject for the industry to address. But the time has come and we need to be big enough to say that something is wrong and set about to fix it. Years ago, there was a television series "B J and the Bear" that had a theme song including the words "we don't pay any property taxes". The thought being that they invisible in the United States by traveling from state to state in a constant state of motion that would allow them not to be identified with any state.
Our industry enjoys this same state of invisible accountability with our employees. They are kept in constant state of motion and they are not able to converse with others of like employment on a credible scale. Sure the CB radio serves as a venting tool, but does not account for credibility. Even drivers working for the same company can not compare their pay as scales are based on different loads going to different parts of the company. Any number of factors comes into play.
Drivers
are satisfied as long as they are told that they are making the same amount of
money as their counterparts working for other companies. The usual
questions relate to "how much do they pay and do they keep you
busy." But is this the only question that needs to be asked?
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I am not here to debate the issue of the pay scale. My perspective is with the drivers when the wheels stop going round and round. And from that perspective, I am here to tell you the system is not working, needs fixing and needs it now! For us to hide our face in our hands and assume we are invisible as a child does is exactly as the child -- foolish and immature. We think because we can not see or do not want to see, that no one sees us. We are like B J and the bear. When a company can have a driver fall asleep in their sleeper and be found dead and find it possible to disallow any responsibility in helping the family get his body home -- the system is broke! I do not want to hear about anyone not being a driver for the company or they are contract drivers -- that is what the industry wants to hear so they can feel good about sleeping at night. The system is broke! It is with great pleasure that I work with responsible companies who do feel it necessary to address the benefits with their drivers. J B Hunt Transport, who when I went to work with them, had 4,000 trucks and today has over 10,000, has a policy that if we give you a trip out, we will see that you get back. US Xpress, Covenant and PTL just to mention a few with similar policies enjoy a relationship with their drivers that gives them satisfaction that they are doing what is right. Are
you…? Ever wonder how J B Hunt can employ 16,000 drivers as per
their web site? I would suggest that you review your benefits and
address the 21st Century. |
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