More carriers increasing driver pay

Beacon Transport and Bay & Bay Transportation latest to announce pay hikes

Driver pay on the rise (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

A couple of truckload carriers have raised driver pay heading into 2021. Beacon Transport announced Monday a 3-cents-per-mile pay increase for new drivers effective Jan. 1.

The La Vergne, Tennessee-based truckload carrier said the increase is one of the largest in its 20-year history and places pay for all new drivers at 50 cents per mile or higher.

“We’ve truly been blessed these past 20 years and there’s no doubt the success of our company is based on the consistent and committed work of our drivers,” said co-founder and Chief Manager Stan Pritchett.

Photo: Beacon Transport

The carrier, which specializes in moving nonhazardous dry freight in the Southeast and Midwest, sees the current lack of available trucks as likely to continue well into the new year.

“There’s been so much talk of capacity the past six months and as we look to 2021 it seems most people believe capacity is going to stay tight,” said co-founder and Vice President of Sales David Burns. “I just want to thank our customers who have given us the confidence and resources to make sure we are able to attract the high-caliber professional drivers needed to service them.”

Last week, Eagan, Minnesota-based carrier Bay & Bay Transportation announced it had implemented a wage increase on Dec. 7. The almost 80-year-old company now pays new hires with driving experience up to 58 cents per mile, and it increased per-mile pay by 4 cents for existing company drivers.

Photo: Bay & Bay Transportation

Bay & Bay also announced a $10,000 sign-on bonus for all new drivers joining its fleet.

In recent weeks several carriers — Roehl Transport, C.R. England, KLLM Transport, Covenant (NASDAQ: CVLG), Schneider National (NYSE: SNDR), Stevens Transport, Heartland Express (NASDAQ: HTLD), Frozen Food Express and Anderson Trucking Service — have raised driver pay.

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.