Schneider National Shows Team Drivers The Money

Teams Who Join By June 30 Eligible For Up to $12,000 In Sign-On Bonus Incentives

In a famous scene from the 1996 American romantic comedy-drama sports film Jerry Maguire, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell (played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.)  is disgruntled with his contract and tells his agent Jerry Maguire, (played by Tom Cruise) to “Show Me the Money!”

Hard-working team drivers across the country seem to be stealing that line from that movie – and Schneider National, one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers, hears them loud and clear! In fact, from now through June 30, any company driver or owner-operator team who joins the company’s Van Truckload division is eligible for a substantial sign-on bonus. Those with prior driving experience will earn $12,000 ($6,000 per driver) when joining Schneider’s Van Truckload division, while recent driving school graduates will earn $7,000 ($3,500 per driver).

“As our expedited freight business continues to grow, so does our need to hire more team drivers,” noted Paul Simmons, vice president at Schneider National. “New and existing customer demand provides a tremendous opportunity for great, consistent miles each week. For drivers looking to maximize their earnings potential, there really is no better option in the industry.”

Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, revised industry standards and the uptick in freight have created a real driver shortage that has resulted in pressure on carriers to find realistic incentives for getting the best men and women for the jobs coming online. No driver – or anyone considering becoming a driver – should pass up this chance to increase their earning power right now.

New teams will discover many other advantages to signing on with Schneider, which has one of the largest team fleets in the industry and a (no-touch) freight base to match. On top of the fact that they are among the highest compensated drivers at Schneider, teams are able to boost their earnings even more by achieving productivity incentives. Schneider teams enjoy best-in-class time at home, along with specialized support and a CSA-compliant culture that promotes Schneider’s number-one core value: safety first and always.

Another benefit for company teams is that they drive Schneider’s newest equipment. This year, the company is introducing 3,000 brand-new trucks into the fleet at a rate of 75 per week, and each is equipped with the latest technology to ensure safety and comfort.

Former solo drivers Don and Elizabeth Berrens, who have been teaming together at Schneider for nearly seven years, encourage those without prior team experience to identify a potential team partner and try out life as a Schneider team. “I tend to be a bit of a solitary person so I didn’t know if I’d like it, but I do!” remarks Don. “Even though you’re sharing a small environment, you definitely do have your own personal space. You pull the drapes in the sleeper berth, and you feel as if you’re alone.”

Don said Schneider’s intensive training program is what attracted him to try trucking several years ago. “I had never driven a truck when I came to Schneider, so I was a solo driver initially,” Don stated. “When I made the transition to team, my income surpassed my expectations.”

Don says communication is the key to a team operation. “You have to be honest and lay out what your expectations are for your partner,” Don said. “Make sure your expectations are reasonable; it needs to be mutually beneficial.”

Like Don, Elizabeth initially went through training with Schneider and became a solo driver before ultimately deciding to run team. Since making the switch, Elizabeth says she’s never been given a reason to look anywhere else, and added that the best part of driving team is the increased income, more miles, and shared responsibility. “The major difference when you run team is the truck is moving 22 out of 24 hours,” Elizabeth stated. “We work a 12-hour day, driving for 11 hours with fuel stops and deliveries taking the rest of the time.”

As a solo driver, you rely on yourself for routing, but you share that responsibility as a team. “You are with your partner all the time, but you still have alone time when they are sleeping,” Elizabeth added. “I’m more of a night owl by nature, and Don is more of a morning person, so he takes the midnight to noon shift and I take noon to midnight. It works out great, and we run between 5,200 and 5,400 miles a week.”

Team drivers,  like the Berrens,  keep the truck moving – and racking up miles – on a regular basis. The reward for this increased productivity is greater take-home pay, with many Schneider company team drivers earning over $70,000 per year.

“I knew that I had the potential to make more money driving team, but had no idea that it was this good,” Elizabeth touted.

Just like Jerry Maguire followed through on his commitment to Rod Tidwell, Schneider National wants to show the money to prospective team drivers.

To learn more about your opportunity with Schneider National, please visit www.schneiderjobs.com or call 1-800-44-PRIDE (1-800-447-7433).

Although not eligible for the sign-on bonus, Schneider will also help match solo drivers looking for a team partner.