What makes a good truck driving job?

What makes a good truck driving job?

In this era of tight truckload capacity and increased regulatory burdens, Class A CDL drivers have the ability to be choosey about where they work. What types of employers will have the advantage in this employment environment? In our experience, drivers are seeking the best jobs and will prioritize the companies that can deliver best answer the questions driver candidates are asking.

1. Work Conditions- All employees should expect to be treated honestly and with respect. Am I being treated with respect? Does this employer care about me? How new is the equipment? Is safety part of the culture of this company? Do I get the communication, help and support I need?
   
   
2. Dispatch Conditions- living on the road, sleeping in a truck, eating fast food, loneliness, health challenges, regulations including CSA scores all contribute to difficult work conditions for the professional truck driver, but a company can mitigate these difficulties. Is my dispatch safe and legal? Do I get regular home time? Do I get to see and talk to the same people, both within my company and at delivery locations? What is the age, condition, and maintenance of my tractor?
    
3. Compensation- freight rates are climbing across the industry, since the laws of supply and demand can’t be appealed. Drivers are reaping the benefit of higher demand for their services, but higher pay is not usually what causes drivers to change jobs if the work and dispatch conditions discussed above are excellent. In an environment where EOBRs have eliminated the ability of a driver to “cheat” the allowable hours rules to earn additional pay, many drivers have actually seen their real compensation reduced even though demand for their services is increasing. While actual pay can vary between $40,000 and $100,000 depending on the job and the market all employee drivers should expect transparency in how their pay is calculated and to see an incentive for their hard work and safe, profitable, performance. Do I get incentives for safety? For retention? For delivering high truck utilization? Are the activities that make my employer and their customers money aligned with my compensation? What provisions are there for paid time off, health and retirement benefits?

At Spartan Logistics, we hope that we meet most the conditions drivers are seeking and attempt to treat all employees with honest and respect. We lead with our core values of Customer Service, Integrity, Respect and Teamwork.

Our Drivers are home every night. If our Drivers need, or want to be home, on a nightly basis they can be. We have many runs that allow them to be home every night. If they prefer to be out several nights a week to earn additional compensation, we can also accommodate. We attempt to offer a balance between how much a driver wants to work and how much they want to earn. Because there is transparency is this, we find drivers usually want to work more.

Our Drivers run 100% safe and legal. We are, and always will be, completely compliant with all DOT regulations. We use EBOR logs so Drivers know exactly where they are from an hours of service standpoint. If a truck or trailer needs repair work to be DOT compliant, that piece of equipment will be repaired to standard before it goes on the road.

Our Drivers earn an excellent annual wage. Spartan drivers can earn anywhere from $60,000.00/yr. to $100,000.00/yr., and more. In addition to a full benefits package, our Drivers can participate in a 401(k) plan that matches every dollar that they contribute with a dollar from Spartan- under this plan, they are fully vested immediately.

Our Drivers experience regular interaction with other people. As a regional and local carrier, our typical dispatches are between 10 and 250 miles. As a result, our drivers interact with the same staff at our warehouses and customers. If our employee drivers need assistance with anything, from questions regarding customer issues to equipment maintenance issues, there is a support system for them to rely on that they can see every day.

Although no carrier can offer a “perfect” job because life on the road is hard, we believe that Spartan Logistics can positively answer most of these questions.