Schneider National to raise drivers’ per-mile pay by 4 cents

Announcement follows $15 million in driver investments during 2020

Several carriers have raised driver pay (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Schneider National (NYSE: SNDR) announced late Wednesday that it will raise driver pay next year. The press release said many of the company’s drivers will earn up to an additional 4 cents per mile starting Jan. 24. The pay increase applies to driver associates in both the company’s solo and team fleets.

The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based transportation and logistics provider said the increase follows several initiatives totaling nearly $15 million made on behalf of its drivers in 2020. Those efforts included the addition of six paid holidays, raising truck speeds to 65 mph from 63 and a weekly program guaranteeing pay for inexperienced drivers.

The press release said equipment, technology and facilities investments, many of which are “focused on driver productivity, comfort and safety,” will continue.

“We are committed to rewarding company drivers for the safe and professional work they do to excite our customers,” said Schneider transportation and logistics head Dave Geyer. “Our focus is on making Schneider driving careers the best in the industry. Pay is certainly a component, among many other areas that we are continually upgrading.”

The increase follows several recent announcements from other carriers.

On Monday, Frozen Food Express (FFE) announced a 25% increase for new linehaul solo company drivers, with team linehaul drivers seeing a 20% pay increase. The same day, Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) announced a guaranteed pay program for the first 12 weeks a new driver is on board. Flatbed operators will be guaranteed pay of $5,400 for each four-week period, up to 12 weeks, with new dry van drivers receiving a $5,200 guarantee.

Last week, C.R. England bumped pay by up to 25% and Covenant (NASDAQ: CVLG) implemented its largest pay increase in company history. Stevens Transport increased driver compensation by as much as 14% in November, with Heartland Express (NASDAQ: HTLD) taking comp up as much as 12%.

Schneider announced an increase in team driver pay earlier this year. The company’s website lists top earning potential at $80,000 annually for dry van drivers and $96,000 for team drivers.

“We are proud of the incredible performance of our drivers every day, but especially during the extraordinary conditions of 2020,” continued Geyer. “Ultimately, it’s this service that our customers value the most, and we are rewarding the drivers who provide excellent customer service.”

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden.

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Compliance

Brokerage Compliance Symposium

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Awards

F3 Awards Dinner

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Compliance Brokerage Compliance Symposium Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
Awards F3 Awards Dinner Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Todd Maiden

Based in Richmond, VA, Todd is the finance editor at FreightWaves. Prior to joining FreightWaves, he covered the TLs, LTLs, railroads and brokers for RBC Capital Markets and BB&T Capital Markets. Todd began his career in banking and finance before moving over to transportation equity research where he provided stock recommendations for publicly traded transportation companies.