Evaluating the Trucking Company That Wants to Hire You

No: 1 in a series: Income potential -- mile rates

Mileage rates seem like the obvious basis of comparison for drivers trying to determine which company pays better. But numbers can mislead as well as enlighten. So when it comes to pay promises, how do you tell fact from fiction?

Read the ad carefully

First, drivers should go beyond the headlines and big type in ads and other marketing materials they receive from a company, Roehl Transport Vice President of Operations Leon Palmer advised. Ideally, the ad text should explain the basis of the claim and figures cited. What is included in the rate? Some published rates include bonuses, some don’t. If they do include bonuses, are the bonuses achievable so that with a little diligence you can count on receiving them (Do most of the drivers for the company earn the bonus?) or are they pie-in-the-sky promises that make the rate look good but hardly anyone will ever qualify for? “Make sure when comparing rates that it’s apples to apples,” Palmer explained.

Consider both side of the mileage pay equation

Understanding what’s included when comparing mileage rates is just the start. When you consider all the other factors that contribute to driver income, the picture gets more complicated. First, consider that mile rates are only half of the mileage pay equation. The other part is how many miles will you get.

Roehl’s Palmer noted that the company’s 1500 drivers average over 121,000 miles per year. Some trucking companies talk high mileage rates but gloss over what kind of miles they can provide. “That’s a warning sign you may not get adequate miles to create a decent paycheck,” he explained. Palmer also cautioned drivers to be wary of companies that promise unrealistically high miles. “Do the math on 3,000 miles per week and its pretty clear that home time is not going to happen,” he said.

Find out more about comparing mile rates on the “Evaluation Tips” section at www.GoRoehl.com and watch for No. 2 in the Evaluating Trucking Companies series: Income potential -- bonuses and other compensation.

Known as the Take Home More, Be Home More carrier™, Roehl Transport provides drivers a total compensation package consistently listed by independent surveys as one of the 10 best driver pay packages in the nation. For more information call: 877-386-1070.

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