Mileage pay for both company drivers and independent contractors is being raised “across the board” next year, accompanied by boosts to what the Green Bay, WI-based carrier calls “accessorial pay” for non-driving work, such as loading and unloading trailers,” company spokesman Mike Norder told Fleet Owner.
Norder said solo company drivers should see their annual pay increase between $1,500 to $2,500 next year, with team company drivers getting between $3,500 to $4,500 more per year per driver. Solo owner-operators contracted to Schneider should experience a $2,500 to $3,500 yearly pay boost, with team owner-operators getting $3,500 to $4,500 more per driver per year.
Compensation for non-driving work is going up as well, Norder added. For hand-unloading or loading trailers, drivers will get $100, up from the current $65. Partial loading or unloading will net them $30 versus the $15 they get today. If a driver is required by a shipper to look for a trailer, they will get $30 compared to $15 today.
Norder said Schneider is committed to these raises to accommodate the new, more restrictive HOS rules. “We have to keep the drivers we already have and recruit new ones to counteract the impact of the new HOS rules,” he said. “It’s incredibly important that we have the right amount of drivers on hand as well as the ability to increase our driver base. These pay increase will allow us to do both.”
He also said boosting accessorial pay will help mitigate some of the daily annoyances that truck driver’s experience. “You can never completely eliminate irritants such as loading and unloading,” Norder explained. “But you can make them tolerable. That’s why we’re increasing non-driver compensation too. It’s only right and only fair.”
