Survey Finds Some Carriers Raising Driver Pay

About one in six long-haul truckload carriers are yielding to the pressure to increase driver wages, according to a recent survey.

Among the 17% of firms found to be offering raises, SignPost Inc. found total compensation for drivers rose by 4.5% on average for the first quarter of this year. A transportation consulting and publishing firm in Hudson, Wis., SignPost has been monitoring driver compensation on a quarterly basis for five years.

The company study of 228 fleets, most of them long-haul truckload, examined total compensation figures of both wages and fringe benefits for company drivers and owner-operators.

The most recent report, released Monday, was consistent with data found in 1998 and 1999.

In the first quarter of 1999, 17.8% of companies surveyed increased wages and fringes by an average of 4.6%. For 1998 the numbers were 17.1% of firms offering hikes worth 4.5% on average.

Survey editor Dave Goodson characterized the report by saying, "Carriers are finding that while raising wages does not guarantee filling empty trucks, offering uncompetitive wage rates ensures empty trucks."