Schneider offers owner-operators expanded lease program; pay, dispatch options

The Trucker News Services

1/10/2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Choosing your own load assignment and compensation isn’t usually part of the job description for an owner-operator. That is, unless you drive for Schneider National, the company says. The transportation, logistics and intermodal services provider recently introduced a percent-of-revenue lease program designed to make owner-operators more successful in today’s highly competitive environment.

Paired with Schneider’s long-standing mileage-based program, the new lease program provides owner-operators the ability to choose the compensation option that best fits their needs.

Owner-operators looking to control their own destiny, unlike forced-dispatch programs that may not maximize their time or earning potential, have begun looking to Schneider to get the most out of their time on the road, their time at home and the loads they deliver, the company says.

Joe Fennel, an owner-operator who has driven for Schneider for over 14 years, explains that he enjoys the freedom of dispatching himself on routes he chooses.

“I can go online anytime, day or night, point and click and I’m on my way. There are no agents to negotiate with and there is higher income potential — I couldn’t ask for a better scenario,” Fennel said. “I like knowing my loads, where I’m taking them and what’s coming up next. It gives me the chance to manage my business the way I want to.”

The percent-of-revenue lease option pays 65 percent of the line-haul revenue and 100 percent fuel surcharge with no trailer rental fees. Owner-operators can view all of Schneider’s freight opportunities in their market, regionally and nationally, before selecting a load online. This driver-friendly tool is designed to provide owner-operators with the ability to view all loads for that day and look ahead to select their next load.

“We recognize that owner-operators are at the core of our success,” said Mike Bethea, director of operations, truckload contractors for Schneider National. “Whether our owner-operators feel the mileage-based program or the new percent-of-revenue option is best for them, they have the freedom to manage their own business and increase their revenue. Our owner-operators who select their own loads average $1.30-$1.35 per mile and $165,000 per year.”

The percent-of-revenue program allows owner-operators to choose their freight, miles, locations, route and the amount of revenue they bring in. According to Bethea, the company has seen a 22 percent increase in owner-operators joining Schneider since the program launched. This increase has prompted an expansion of the program to Schneider’s Indianapolis Operating Center as a base for managing owner-operators. This is in addition to its Charlotte, N.C., Operating Center.

The Schneider National percent-of-revenue-based lease option is available to owner-operators in all states east of the Mississippi River as well as Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Schneider owner-operators, and those looking to join Schneider, must have at least one year of experience as an owner-operator to participate in the new program. The new lease option is available for all safe, compliant, service-oriented and profit-driven professionals with reliable equipment.