ATS guarantees driver pay for first 12 weeks

As a company founded by a driver in 1955, Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) has always made drivers their top priority — from how they’re treated to how much they’re paid. More than 65 years later, that still holds true.

Introducing the latest effort to ensure drivers are treated right, the 12-week company driver pay guarantee. For a limited time, every new company flatbed driver will earn a minimum of $5,400 every four weeks for a total of 12 weeks — and every new company van driver will earn $5,200 every four weeks for a total of 12 weeks. This program will begin orientation week for all certified hires.

The program works as follows: All new company drivers will earn $500 during orientation week. Following orientation week, drivers get their first week on the road, which is considered week two with ATS. At the end of that week, they’ll receive $850 (flatbed drivers) or $800 (van drivers). At the end of their third and fourth weeks with ATS, they’ll be paid for their actual production based on their settlements.

How the program works depends on how much they’re earning. If after four weeks their check doesn’t total $5,200 or more (van drivers) or $5,400 or more (flatbed drivers), ATS will cover the difference. There’s no need to worry about paying anything back either. If a driver needed to utilize the program during their first four weeks, for example, and end up earning more than the minimum guarantee in their next four weeks, it’s theirs to keep. No strings attached. Drivers will also still earn their sign-on bonuses on top of this program.

“We understand the stress an inconsistent paycheck can put on a driver, especially when joining a new carrier, particularly during the pandemic,” said ATS Vice President of Driver Recruiting, Joe Goering. “This is our latest effort to ensure drivers have the stability they’re looking for, and quite frankly deserve. Those first four weeks, including the week of orientation for a new driver, present cash flow challenges. This removes those challenges. While we don’t expect many drivers will have to utilize this program with the large number of freight options we have here at ATS, we still feel it’s important to have this program available, if needed — primarily for their first four weeks.”

This new, limited time, program will work in collaboration with ATS’ Upside Pay program, launched in February 2019. With Upside Pay, company flatbed drivers and company van drivers earn CPM or 24 percent of the Transportation Revenue — whatever pays them more. And drivers don’t need to make the choice on which they’ll get. They’ll automatically get paid whatever earns them the most money on each and every load. On the program, company drivers are earning an average of 65 cents per mile.