News from the Fleets

CRST VAN EXPEDITED PAYING TOP DOLLAR
CRST Van Expedited, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, believes it will soon offer the top
company driver pay in the nation. A pay increase in January and one taking effect March 1 will bring the CRST pay to 49 cents per mile. Dave Rusch, CRST Carrier Group president, said he believes that will be the highest rate in the industry.


MORE CARRIERS INCREASE PAY
Hornady Transportation increased its pay by 2 cents per mile. New drivers’ starting pay is between 36 and 41 cents per mile.

Transport America raised company driver pay 4.5 cents a mile.

Roehl Transport plans to raise experienced driver pay by 6 percent to 12 percent depending on fleet and region of the country. The new rates would set starting pay for experienced drivers between 38 cents and 41 cents per mile in the van division and between 40 cents and 43 cents in flatbeds. It would include the 1-cent quarterly safety bonus and the 1-cent December productivity bonus.

Roehl also plans to increase owner-operator mileage rates to as high as 91 cents per mile for van and $1.02 per mile for flatbed hauls on the driver’s own trailer. Roehl also offers experienced drivers a sign-on bonus as high as $2,000.


RUAN BUYS ARBOR
Ruan Transportation of Des Moines, Iowa, bought Arbor Freight Service of Eau Claire, Wis.


AWARDS & RECOGNITION
CFI Company Driver of the Year is Richard Norman. He joined CFI in 1994 and lives in Lancaster, Texas. Jay Van Wormer, Contract Driver of the Year, lives in Springdale, Ark., and joined CFI in 1992.

Company Team of the Year is Gordon and Dora Colvin. The Colvins began driving for CFI in 1996. Together, they have driven more than 2 million miles for CFI. They live in Udall, Kan.

Stacy and Donna Moran are Contract Team of the Year. Stacy joined CFI in 1995, Donna in 1998. They live in Granbury, Texas.

Harry Brodhead was recently awarded a CRST MALONE 2 Million Mile Safety plaque.

ICON TRANSPORTATION driver Pat Rule has driven more than 1.5 million miles without an accident in his 15 years of service with the company. The company presented Rule with a 1.5 Million Milestone plaque, an Indiana Motor Truck Association Master Truck Driver Award and a hunting trip. Icon also established the Pat & Ellen Rule Scholarship, available to the spouse or child of any Icon employee.

Partner Insights
Information to advance your business from industry suppliers

Tony Sutherland of Scott Depot, W.Va., is the 2004 MAVERICK TRANSPORTATION Driver of the Year. Selected for the honor by Maverick employees, Sutherland has been with Maverick for 12 years and has received the fleet’s Million Mile Safety Award.


TRANSAM BUYING HELWIG AND SON
TransAm Trucking announced that it was to acquire James Helwig and Son, effective Feb. 28. TransAm will have more than 1,400 employees, 1,200 tractors and 2,400 refrigerated trailers. Its headquarters is in Olathe, Kan., but it also has an operation in Rocky Mount, N.C.
TransAm plans to keep open Helwig’s Rockwall, Texas, facility and to retain James Helwig to lead that operation.


SCHNEIDER ADDING OFFICES
Schneider National plans to open 10 new regional brokerage offices this year, increasing the total to 27.

The new offices will be in Indianapolis; Seattle; Tulsa, Okla.; Charlotte, N.C.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Detroit; New Orleans; Boston; St. Louis; and Monterrey, Mexico.

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