Company drivers and O/O's needed asap!

Robsan

Member
Apr 19, 2012
58
17
8
Utopia, Ontario
2
We are a flatbed carrier based in Hamilton, Ontario looking to hire professional drivers for year round steady work running into the USA (mainly south east). We offer top of the line equipment and the choice of pulling a rolltite or stepdeck trailer.
Pay Packages Company Drivers
1. Company drivers are offered a choice of either .50 cents per mile for all miles run (paid PC Practical miles) plus paid benefits consisting of (eye, dental, drug etc) Out of country medical coverage, WSIB, stat holiday pay plus vacation pay, paid weekly via direct deposit
OR
2. 25% of gross plus full benefits (eye, dental, drug etc) Out of country coverage, WSIB, stat holiday pay plus vacation pay.
Owner/Operator Pay Packages
1. Pulling a company trailer we pay 70% of the gross and we pay all authorities, plates, tolls, insurance, trailer maintenance and supply fuel cards and transponders.
OR
2. Pulling your own trailer we pay 75% of the gross and we pay all authorities, plates, tolls, insurance and supply fuel cards and transponders.
Requirements: 3 years current flatbed/stepdeck or rolltite experience. Clean abstracts including CVOR, current FAST Card or valid passport and a professional attitude and appearance.
Fax resumes to: (905)-578-4689 or e-mail to: robsantrans@rogers.com
 
Ralph...I see you posting here now and then, do you own or work for a trucking company or are you a driver that still thinks its 1988?
 
To tell you the truth Ralph, that "measly 5%" works out to about $1200-$1400.00 a month, so 5% isn't to darn bad. Do the math on that.

My comment was about how the rate an O/O is offered/paid has deteriorated over the years. Nothing more, nothing less.

Your comment indicates to me that because you believe an O/O is apparently grossing a "huge" amount (in your estimation) that paying him less for his wagon is acceptable. I believe the opposite.
 
To tell you the truth Ralph, that "measly 5%" works out to about $1200-$1400.00 a month, so 5% isn't to darn bad. Do the math on that.

Considering that you can finance a very decent used all-aluminum step deck for $800-$900 a month, I would say that this is actually a fair deal.
 
Robsan,
Based on your numbers, your owner operators gross anywhere between $24.000 and $28.000 a month (70%-75% of this amount would go to their pocket depending on the ownership of the trailer).
That would indicate that they make between $288000 and $336000 a year!. Could you confirm that?
 
Yes WalterK, the numbers are right, they average about $24-$26k per month gross depending on how much they actually they want to work. Company drivers gross approximately $1500-$1600 per week as well.
 
Wow, these are some very positive numbers. I am surprised you don't have a steady lineup at your door for this positions. If it would not be to much to ask would you be able to shed some light on approximately how many miles they have to drive to get $24-$26k per month in gross revenue? Or, what is the average per mile rate? Also, I am sure one should keep in mind that a part of their income comes from detention charges for loading, unloading, and other extra work that is required on flatbeds.
 
Depending on where they're running they can average anywhere from $2.40 - $3.00 or more, per mile on the rounds, an average of 2,000-2,300 miles per week (that's including empty miles between the off load on the outbound trip to the reload back home as well). And as far as waiting time is concerned, there's very little and any waiting time that is accrued, 100% of that goes to the owner/op. As far as having people banging down the doors looking for work, we get tons of applications but maybe we're just to picky on who we hire, and due to the nature of what we do and the high value of the loads, we can't afford not to be picky who we bring on. I'd rather hire one highly experienced, professional, safety minded driver who knows this job inside and out, rather than 3 drivers doing a mediocre half ass job that need babysat every minute of the day, because it's one of those 3 drivers that will likely end up causing an insurance claim. And to tell you the truth, there's an advantage to having O/O's pulling our trailers, for the simple reason that we inspect the trailers inside and out and ensure that repairs are made before anything fails. So this gives us piece of mind knowing that the equipment won't leave us on the side of the road or in behind the scales with a load on and an angry customer on the phone wondering where their load is.
 
Considering that you can finance a very decent used all-aluminum step deck for $800-$900 a month, I would say that this is actually a fair deal.

All sounds fine and dandy IF you can find a good step-deck to lease. Then for $500 net a driver is supposed to maintain it, (tires, brakes, etc.) and still try to profit.

For the whopping 5% an owner-operator is far better off to pull a company wagon. Then for every little defect refuse to pull it until it is repaired in house. That $14-$1500 would dwindle very quickly just in down-time.
 
Robsan,
You definitely come across as a straight shooter. I am sure any savvy owner operator has you in their “Rolodex” by now. The good ones never really look for work as they have solid relationships with their carriers. The bad ones are plentiful but will run your company down to the ground in no time. The fact that you understand it speaks volumes. “Highly experienced, professional, safety minded and NO INSURANCE CLAIMS” are the phrases that you want to hear from a potential partner in the business. The beauty of the flatbed work is that in terms of safety it is unforgiving, and your CSA/SMS score proves again that you not only “talk the talk but you also walk the walk”. It is an incredible commitment to put somebody’s name on the door, and it takes a huge amount of research to find the right carrier – sometimes years. In conclusion, I can assure that if I were looking I would not hesitate to pursue your offer further.