Shifting the Driver Mindset: Drive Less, Earn More

Post Date - Jan 26, 2023

Since the dawn of logistics, truck drivers have made a living by transporting goods on the road, pushing their limits to drive more miles that lead to longer days, weeks and months to increase their paychecks. But step into today's fast-paced world of logistics, and the age-old mindset that more miles are the answer to making more money just doesn't ring true.

Expedite shipping is the advantage that actually offers drivers the opportunity to drive less and earn more. Not only do drivers get access to higher-paying loads, but they travel fewer miles to deliver shipments to high-priority customers who pay top dollar to get their freight delivered on time, no matter the distance. In addition to drivers hauling fewer miles, they have lower fuel and maintenance costs, which means more money in their pockets. Expedite shipping creates win-win outcomes across the board – and gives drivers a chance to get more 'bang for their buck.'

A new structure to make more money per mile

Here at Ascent, we are doubling down on shifting driver mindset, flipping the age-old "more-time-on-the-road-means-better-earnings" mentality on its ear. We recently introduced a new structure for expedite drivers that allows them to drive less and earn more, putting drivers in control of their careers like never before. And it appears to be working, delivering clear benefits for both existing and newer drivers, including upwards of 40% increases in weekly pay.

This means expedite drivers can run 25% fewer miles per week compared to the industry average while bringing home more pay. How is this possible? Quite simply: we are sharing more with our drivers, and we are doing that without increasing customer prices.

Ascent has a predominantly Fortune 500 customer base, meaning there are massive amounts of freight to move each day. Customers post to Ascent's proprietary 24/7 internal load board, and then the Ascent dispatch team matches the right loads to each driver, which translates to multiple daily load offers to every Ascent driver.

The fact that there is no forced dispatch means drivers manage their own workflow and workload and are in control of how they grow their own businesses. Ascent Expedite drivers spend an average of 16 days in service per month and all of our drivers are earning more while driving less.

In addition to the driver-benefit-oriented structure, Ascent offers program options that will cover 100% of trailer maintenance, along with competitive health insurance options, a safety reward program, referral bonus program, sign-on bonus program and EFS pay advance on each load.

Straight from the source: Bill Lanman, Ascent Expedite Driver

It's one thing to have a company tell you how well their strategy is working for their drivers, but it's quite another to hear it from the field itself. One of our expedite drivers, Bill Lanman, has partnered with Ascent for more than 10 years and credits the company culture as the main point of differentiation and the reason why he has stayed put all these years. He shared with us that for him, it's all about the people, and the partnership with Ascent that keeps owner operators out of the middle and has their backs on everything.

In addition to supporting the overall Ascent approach, Bill also appreciates and has seen first-hand the positive changes resulting from the new contract. Before the new structure, Bill used to drive as a team with his wife, Opal, but with the new contract structure, he is earning as much solo as he did as a team. He says the new reality allows them to be able to manage their time on the road and balance family life without sacrificing financial security.

In today's competitive and dynamic supply chain world, finding a way to empower drivers while ensuring they are well-compensated and have benefits is key to driver recruitment and retention. But it also means our customers are the beneficiaries of experienced, dedicated and fulfilled drivers transporting their goods, and we can stand proud of the ways in which we help our drivers and our customers succeed.