Should We Pay Truck Drivers a Salary Rather Than Mileage?

Avatar photo

Jim Park’s Truck Talk
Volume 1 Number 13

Drivers today are losing more productive hours than ever to delays caused by congestion, delays at loading docks, and even at Customs. It’s no different in Great Britain. In fact it’s worse — much worse. Drivers, as you might imagine, were mighty unhappy about that, until carriers began switching to salaried pay rather than mileage pay.

When the European Union directive of a 48-hour workweek for truck drivers hit Britain, many drivers left the industry, but the salaried drivers were sitting pretty. Carriers began negotiating deals with shippers where the trucks were hired by the hour rather then the mile, and everyone came out ahead.

Given the changing nature of our industry, is it time to consider salaried pay for North American drivers too?

To save to your desktop right click and choose Save Target As (6.2 MB, 13:37)

 

Media Player

(Does the audio sound fast? Please update your Adobe Flash Player.)
Avatar photo

Jim Park was a CDL driver and owner-operator from 1978 until 1998, when he began his second career as a trucking journalist. During that career transition, he hosted an overnight radio show on a Hamilton, Ontario radio station and later went on to anchor the trucking news in SiriusXM's Road Dog Trucking channel. Jim is a regular contributor to Today's Trucking and Trucknews.com, and produces Focus On and On the Spot test drive videos.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*