The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Aug. 28 it hopes to find an answer to that question.
The agency is accepting public comment for 60 days, starting Aug. 29, on its planned study, in which it says it will analyze the safety consequences of the method in which drivers are paid, not necessarily the amount.
“Should the study show that there is a relationship between the methods drivers are paid and the methods’ effect on safe driving performance, a potential benefit of the study will…help [carriers] make more informed decisions about safe operations,” according to a Federal Register notice scheduled for publication Aug. 29.
The study will be conducted through an online survey, FMCSA says, and will try to find whether there’s a connection between how drivers are paid and their driving behavior.
The agency will select at random carriers to participate, who will be notified with a letter. An email will then be sent to the participants that contains a link to the questionnaire.
The results will be made public sometime next year, FMCSA says.
