Recruiters and trucking companies alike have long fought the battle of “overpromising and underdelivering.” In turn, drivers everywhere continue to be skeptical when faced with inflated claims of more money, promises of more frequent home time, and the list goes on. Some carriers are even going so far as to offer tens of thousands of dollars in sign-on bonuses to attract potential drivers. Unfortunately, most of these promises come with more fine print than substance and drivers continue to be disappointed.
Among the hardest details to really get a straight answer on no doubt include pay. Be it mileage pay, percentage pay, minimum weekly pay, etc. “Comparing apples to apples is extremely important,” said Carrier One Media Analyst Spring Dixon. “If a carrier is giving you an annual figure, be sure that you find out where that number came from. Are they simply telling you what their top driver made? Or are they providing you with a true, fleet wide average?”
Many drivers question the validity of Carrier One’s claim that their drivers are averaging $260,000 or more a year in gross revenue. “We realize that a number like $260,000 can be hard to believe,” said Dixon. “I talk to drivers every day via social media, on the phone, and in person about this very thing. The first words out of my mouth are always the same; this IS the real deal. These ARE real time numbers, driven by real time data and quite simply, the proof is in the pudding.”
If one does a formal “fact check” on this $260,000 a year in gross revenue figure, they would quickly discover that the proof is, in fact, in the pudding. Simple math and basic economics show that not only is this possible, but many of Carrier One’s contractors are making even more than the $260k that Carrier One advertises. Director of Recruiting and Retention at Carrier One Lane Williams added his insight. “The math is actually quite simple,” he said. “Our goal, and one we are regularly exceeding right now, is to make sure each Carrier One driver is making at least $5,000 a week in gross revenue. $5,000 a week multiplied by 52 weeks equals $260,000 in gross revenue annually. Again, we have a large percentage of our fleet making much more than this, with no signs of the market slowing any time soon.”
“In today’s market, the ball is the carrier’s court,” added Williams. “Freight is strong, capacity is tight, and that means customers are paying premium rates for flatbed services.”
Under the Carrier One driver pay plan, contractors are paid via an extremely competitive fixed percentage (80% to start) of the revenue generated from the freight they haul, which means as rates increase, so does a drivers’ compensation. “You’ll hear us say a few things a lot around here,” said Williams. “One of them is ‘work smarter, not harder’ and the other is ‘we are trained to chase the money.’” In essence, the Carrier One team is taking advantage of the current transportation market tipping in favor the both the driver and the carrier.
“If our contractors are successful, we will be successful,” said Williams. “Flatbed drivers are highly skilled and are required to do a lot of physically demanding work. They DESERVE the numbers we advertise, and we do everything possible to make sure they are given that opportunity!”
In addition, the company boasts a longevity bonus program where the longer a driver stays, the more the driver is paid. This is done via annual percentage increases up to 82% through annual bonus checks based on the prior year’s gross revenue.
Are you looking to make a change but you’re unsure about a carrier’s claim? Do your research! Talk to drivers that run for the company you’re considering. Both drivers that have been there for quite some time, along with drivers that are relatively new. Take the time to review companies’ websites, their social media pages, and most importantly – don’t be afraid to ask recruiters the tough questions. “I always tell recruiters that I am training,” said Dixon, “the drivers that are asking the tough questions, the drivers that are really delving into the details, are the drivers you WANT on your team.”
In conclusion, Carrier One’s Professional Owner Operators and Lease Purchase drivers can absolutely expect to bring home the $260,000 a year in gross revenue that the company advertises, if not more.
For more information regarding opportunities with Carrier One as an Owner Operator or Lease Purchase driver, visit www.driveC1.com or call 888-997-1082. You can also visit their Facebook page here.