In a recent article in Overdrive by Todd Dills that can be found here, I read where Anne Ferro will try and use the "bully pulpit" (her words) of her office as the FMCSA Administrator to influence shippers/receivers to stop delaying trucks.  Even though she admittedly has no authority to do so, I guess she wants the trucking industry to know that "big brother" is looking out for us.  The article goes on to say that some lawmakers have tried to introduce legislation to regulate and mandate detention pay for our industry to no avail as of yet.

I understand that dock delays are a real problem within our industry as shippers/receivers have no concern about our hours of service (HOS) and the more profitable  driving hours that we're losing sitting at their facilities.  However, having the federal government regulating every little inadequacy is not a solution.  Excessive regulation degrades the entrepreneurial spirit and climate that has made it possible for a guy like me, (one truck and one trailer) to compete on the big stage with all of the large trucking companies out there.   The end result of excessive regulation is that all carriers will be mediocre.

The free market will solve the problem.  If you're suffering with detention currently, it's because you or your carrier hasn't dealt with the problem and they are allowing their trucks to be delayed.  Take for example, Marten Transport, who is leading the industry in taking on detention. The following has been taken from a recent press release that can be found here.
 

"Beginning in June, Marten drivers will receive automatic detention pay on all loads after just one hour. In order to receive this additional pay, drivers must follow the company’s detention policy, which includes arriving on time for pick up or delivery; sending the appropriate macros; and the arrival and release times documented on the paperwork.  If drivers are not loaded or unloaded within an hour, their detention pay begins automatically. The hourly rate for hour 1-2 will be $10 per hour, paid in 15-minute increments. The second hour of wait time and on will be paid the normal automatic detention rate of $20 per hour. Marten plans to increase the first hour rate in September by at least $2 and will eventually bring the pay up to $20 per hour to match the rest of the automatic detention pay."

Marten Transport also parted ways with some of their customers who weren't on board with the implementation of the detention pay.  However, most of their customers were in agreement and plan to cooperate fully according to a radio interview I recently heard.  This is a great example of the free market taking care of a problem without "Big Brother" getting involved and messing up a lot of other things along the way. 

Comments (6)

Joey Slaughter

Joey Slaughter is the owner of Blue Ridge Transport, LLC. Joey has been in the trucking industry since 1992.

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Thanks Craig. That's an excellent example of the free market working to correct a problem that the gov't has no business in getting involved. With electronic recorders coming in the next couple of years, the carriers will start feeling the pinch as their trucks are sitting at the docks all day and they'll take corrective action.

May 05, 2014 12:38:51 PM

This is the sole reason I got out of trucking full time. Sitting and waiting all day at a lumber yard for a load doesn't pay the bills. If I would have received Marten Transports detention pay scale to sit there all day then my situation would have been very different. I hope more companies including independent O/O's can get on board and make this happen. It will force shippers to become more efficient and help all drivers. The company that I currently work for full time (my day job) had a terrible habit of ordering in two or three trucks in a particular day and only getting one truck out the door and that truck sat all day before he could leave. Sadly it got to the point that we couldn't ship our product because no one was willing to haul it and the broker we worked with also found that he couldn't find drivers willing to haul our product so the broker started charging detention time. My day job company changed it's tune within a couple weeks and now they can get up to 9 trucks out each day. No truck sits for over 2 hours. In my mind detention pay is a great thing that is long long over due.

May 05, 2014 11:39:15 AM

Regarding Marten: I don't know what they're collecting. However, their detention plan has been in place since 2011 and effective June, they will compensate drivers after one hour of waiting. So that tells me that they've probably had success with the program since they're increasing the program.

Regarding company drivers; that's not the focus of this blog. The blog is from my perspective as an independent owner-operator with own authority. I understand that the view is different from whatever position you're in within trucking.

May 05, 2014 11:12:48 AM

Excessive regulation is when they force me to do something for them. When someone is forced to do something for me-not so much! Since company drivers are not protected in the FLSA they deserve detention protection. How do you know that Marten is actually collecting detention?

May 05, 2014 10:16:35 AM

I agree, not all regulation is bad. Just like I said in my blog, excessive regulation is bad.

The trucking companies can stop the detention problems anytime they want. Marten is doing that. When the gov't comes in to fix stuff, they end up making a lot of things worse.

May 05, 2014 5:40:57 AM

Not all regulation is bad. I believe that mandatory detention is needed. The reason is the constant turnover and churning of drivers. I may get a load from a new shipper. If that shipper wastes my time, I will never haul for that shipper again. They will just take advantage of the next driver. It has to stp.

May 05, 2014 4:30:59 AM