Marten Transport, a Wisconsin-based carrier specializing in temperature-sensitive cargo, is boosting detention and maintenance pay for drivers.
The carrier said it is doing so to help compensate drivers for lost wages due to detention out of their control and to hold shippers responsible for delays. The company first introduced detention pay in April 2011.
“It’s our goal to basically eliminate detention time but if it happens and keeps the driver from rolling, we want them compensated for it,” said Tim Norlin, director of recruiting.
Drivers will earn a $2/hour increase to $17/hour for detention time in excess of two hours while waiting to be loaded or unloaded at customer facilities. Drivers delivering or picking up at customers that have been identified as consistently having extreme detention issues will continue to earn $20 per hour.
The increase went into effect on March 19.
The company also began a program where drivers will be paid $17/hour for downtime at drop yards and customer drop pools when a driver has to wait for a service truck to fix the trailer he or she is picking up.
“This program was designed to help drivers who have incurred downtime for making sure their equipment is safe and DOT legal,” said Norlin. “If a Marten driver goes to hook a trailer and it’s not ready—flat tire or lights not working or whatever—that driver calls our maintenance department and is on the clock until it’s fixed. Again, anything that keeps the wheels from rolling keeps a driver from earning. Whatever we can do to make sure our drivers’ paychecks don’t suffer, Marten will do.”
