USA Truck Boosts Pay for Independent Contractors

Screenshot via USA Truck

USA Truck has increased pay for independent contractors as part of the carrier's new Independent Contractor Compensation Program.

The program improves mileage rates for all new independent contractors. Effective Oct. 1, rates were increased to $1.02 per mile to $1.35 per mile, depending on the length of haul.

Independent contractors will also receive discounts on retail fuel while using an in-network fuel stop, preferred labor rates and discounted parts at USA Truck maintenance facilities.

“Our continued success in serving our customers derives from selecting the best contractors available, which we can do by providing fair and equitable compensation,” said Martin Tewari, president of trucking at USA Truck. “This represents a significant commitment by USA Truck to the success of our independent contractors.”

For more information on what USA Truck offers its independent contractors, click here.

Related: USA Truck Allows Flexibility in Choosing Hometime

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Schneider adds 15,000th intermodal chassis

Trucking conglomerate Schneider recently purchased its 15,000th intermodal container chassis, which the company noted is a “major milestone” in its effort to convert its intermodal division to a completely company-owned and managed chassis fleet.

Jim Filter, senior vice president and general manager of Schneider's Intermodal division, added in a statement that the carrier still anticipates it will fully covert to a network of all company-owned chassis by 2017 – three years after it began the conversion process.

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Land Line Now online: Why doesn’t Minnesota have to play by the same rules?

Sen. Schumer Urges Finalizing Speed-Limiter Rule

Senator Chuck Schumer 

Influential Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) lent his support to the proposed federal rule that would mandate electronic speed limiters on commercial vehicles during an Oct. 13 campaign stop on Long Island.

“There's nothing more harrowing than having a 12-wheeler behind you going fast,” Schumer said while standing alongside the notoriously hectic Long Island Expressway, per a news report posted by TheIslandNow.com. Schumer, New York's senior senator is running for reelection and is in line to succeed Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) as the Senate's Democratic leader.

Back in August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration jointly proposed that heavy-duty vehicles be equipped with speed-limiting devices set to a specific maximum speed.

However, as of yet, the agencies have not proposed a specific speed limit for the proposed limiters. The Department of Transportation has said only that the proposal “discusses the benefits of setting the maximum speed at 60, 65, and 68 miles per hour, but the agencies will consider other speeds based on public input.”

That lack of specificity drew the scorn of Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, earlier this month during a press briefing at ATA's Management Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas. “The various differentials in speed from what this rule proposes and what state speed limits are is dangerous,” he said. “What is this proposal? Three speed limits, not one. No studies to back it up. And no national cap on limits to address speed differentials.

“Our policy focus now is to develop comments on this proposal, which in my humble opinion, is flawed,” Spear continued. “We cannot afford to elevate risks for the motoring public with a rule that does not take into account the danger of differential speeds for cars and trucks."

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DAT Solutions Integrates Small Carrier-Focused Getloaded

Image via DAT Solutions

DAT Solutions has announced that Getloaded, a load board for smaller freight brokers and carriers, will be integrated into the DAT Network of load boards.

The combination with the rest of DAT's load board network provides a single location for options aimed at van, refrigerated, flatbed and specialty freight and capacity. With the integration, Getloaded's carrier customers will have access to four times as many loads per day while broker customers will be able to choose from 17 million available trucks posted annually to the DAT Network.

Getloaded and DAT - which includes DAT Power, DAT Express, DAT TruckersEdge and OOIDA's MembersEdge - are both owned by the same company, and have been operating with independent databases operated by DAT. DAT will migrate DAT and Getloaded customers to the combined database by year-end.

The move is the latest in a series of expansions at DAT. In August, the company relocated to a 55,000-square-foot facility in Portland. It also grew its technical and engineering staff, while expanding its Data Science department to address the needs of a changing industry.

"Since 1999, Getloaded has built its reputation as a marketplace for smaller brokers and carriers, especially those involved in moving flatbed and specialty freight," said Don Thornton, senior vice president at DAT. "We're excited to offer more choices and services to Getloaded customers and to allow all customers to post their loads and trucks in one efficient super-database."

Related: DAT Launches Scalable TMS for Brokers

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DAT Solutions Integrates Small Carrier-Focused Getloaded

Image via DAT Solutions

DAT Solutions has announced that Getloaded, a load board for smaller freight brokers and carriers, will be integrated into the DAT Network of load boards.

The combination with the rest of DAT's load board network provides a single location for options aimed at van, refrigerated, flatbed and specialty freight and capacity. With the integration, Getloaded's carrier customers will have access to four times as many loads per day while broker customers will be able to choose from 17 million available trucks posted annually to the DAT Network.

Getloaded and DAT - which includes DAT Power, DAT Express, DAT TruckersEdge and OOIDA's MembersEdge - are both owned by the same company, and have been operating with independent databases operated by DAT. DAT will migrate DAT and Getloaded customers to the combined database by year-end.

The move is the latest in a series of expansions at DAT. In August, the company relocated to a 55,000-square-foot facility in Portland. It also grew its technical and engineering staff, while expanding its Data Science department to address the needs of a changing industry.

"Since 1999, Getloaded has built its reputation as a marketplace for smaller brokers and carriers, especially those involved in moving flatbed and specialty freight," said Don Thornton, senior vice president at DAT. "We're excited to offer more choices and services to Getloaded customers and to allow all customers to post their loads and trucks in one efficient super-database."

Related: DAT Launches Scalable TMS for Brokers

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter