The Trucker Newspaper - April 15, 2018

Thetrucker.com
Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 7
Bison Transport, Central Oregon Truck named TCA Best Fleets to Drive For
THE TRUCKER STAFF
Sometimes it comes down to doing what’s
right.
Bison Transport has been recognized as an
outstanding company by the Truckload Carriers
Association for more than 10 years, and the
Canadian company was again named overall
winner in the large carrier category of the 2018
Best Fleets to Drive For at TCA’s convention
last month in Orlando, Florida.
Central Oregon Truck Company (COTC) was
named overall winner in the small carrier category.
“When it comes down to it, one of our core
values is people, Bison Director of Safety and
Development Garth Pitzel told The Trucker after
a previous win. “We have one saying … we
do what is right.”
COTC, of Redmond, Oregon, was founded
by a couple of flatbed drivers 25 years ago,
and runs exclusively local and regional flatbed
freight in the Pacific Northwest.
Their motto is: “If it goes on a flatbed then
we haul it across all 48 states and Canada … .”
They utilize lightweight aluminum Reitnouer
trailers pulled by a fleet of Kenworth tractors.
According to COTC’s website they maintain
“leading driver pay and benefits while
maintaining exceptional CSA scores.”
COTC has been nominated as a Best Fleets
to Drive For winner for four years running, for
providing the best workplace experience and
have been in the top 20 in 2014, 2015, 2016
and 2017 competitions.
Other large carrier (1,456 tractors) category
winners were: American Central Transport,
Kansas City, Missouri; Challenger Motor
Freight, Cambridge, Ontario; Erb Grou, New
Hamburg, Ontario; Fremont Contract Carriers,
Fremont, Nebraska; Halvor Lines, Superior,
Wisconsin; Maverick Transportation, North
Little Rock, Arkansas; and Nussbaum Transportation,
Hudson, Illinois.
Other small carrier category (314 tractors)
Best Fleet winners were: Boyle Transportation,
Billerica, Massachusetts; FTC Transportation,
Oklahoma City; Garner Trucking, Findlay,
Ohio; Grand Island Express, Grand Island,
Nebraska; Keller Logistics Group, Defiance,
Ohio; Motor Carrier Service, Northwood,
Ohio; Smokey Point Distributing, Arlington,
Washington; TransPro Freight Systems, Milton,
Ontario; and Veriha Trucking, Marinette,
Wisconsin. 8
ATA: Survey says driver
pay, bonuses being boosted
to keep, retain safe drivers
THE TRUCKER STAFF
ARLINGTON, Va. — The American
Trucking Associations said last month it has
released data from its latest Driver Compensation
Study showing “driver pay has
climbed as rising demand for freight transportation
services has increased competition
for increasingly scarce drivers.”
“This latest survey, which includes data
from more than 100,000 drivers, shows that
fleets are reacting to an increasingly tight
market for drivers by boosting pay, improving
benefit packages and offering other enticements
to recruit and retain safe and experienced
drivers,” said ATA Chief Economist
Bob Costello.
According to this most recent study, the
median salary for a truckload driver working
a national, irregular route was more than
$53,000 — a $7,000 increase from ATA’s
last survey, which covered annual pay for
2013, or an increase of 15 percent. A private
fleet driver saw pay rise to more than
$86,000 from $73,000, or a gain of nearly
18 percent.
That’s 3 percent more than the cost of
living has increased in the last 10 years. According
to the American Institute for Economic
Research, you’d have to pay $115.35
today compared with $100 in 2008 for the
same thing, a cost-of-living increase of 15
percent.
In addition to raising pay, Costello said
fleets were offering generous signing bonuses
and benefit packages to attract and
keep drivers.
“Our survey told us that carriers are offering
thousands of dollars in bonuses to attract
new drivers,” Costello said. “And once
drivers are in the door, fleets are offering
benefits like paid leave, health insurance
and 401(k)s to keep them.
“This data demonstrates that fleets are reacting
to concerns about the driver shortage by
raising pay and working to make the job more
attractive,” he said. “I expect that trend to continue
as demand for trucking services increases
as our economy grows.” 8
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