Maximize Your Monthly Bonus Payouts

Do you feel like your working your tail off and not seeing the incentive amounts you were hoping for? Ever hear of the phrase “work smarter, not harder”?

We have no doubt you are working hard day in and day out. Although, just because you are working hard, doesn’t mean you are being productive or getting the most out of your time. I say this with a guilty conscious. I am constantly trying to get more time out of my day to get things done, not possible. We all have the same 24 hours in a day and, well, some of us are better at managing that than others. If you are anything like me, you want to be more efficient and more effective. So, how do we all “up our game” so we can get the most out of the work we put in? Know what needs to be done and determine the shortest path possible to achieve that.

Take a look at the criteria we have for our monthly incentive bonus, we call it our Driver’s Scorecard Bonus.

Your score is based on the number of miles you ran, driver-related claims, driver-related service failures, preventable accidents, and driver-related CSA violations. Knowing the criteria and being aware of expectations from the company as well as your current performance all contribute to YOU meeting YOUR monthly bonus goals. Each division’s mileage breakdown is different, communicate with your fleet manager throughout the month to ensure you are on track. If you wait till the end of the month, you may not have time to rectify the situation and increase your numbers if they are low.* Below is a breakdown of the miles expected and the points associated per division.

Always remember, your fleet manager’s goals are to improve your numbers. They are there to help you. Allow them to be your advocate.

ALL points will be forfeited for any (driver-related) claims, (driver-related) service failures, preventable accidents and CSA violations for the month. Remember this is a monthly bonus, so if you do lose points this month, it will have no bearing on next month’s bonus.

Here are some tips for over the road truck drivers to maximize your monthly bonus payouts by improving your MPG, idle time, miles, claims, service failures, preventable accidents, and CSA violations.

• Ask for preplans a day or 2 before you get empty. Plan your trips by knowing where you will be shutting down for the night.
• Plan your breaks so you have your full 14-hr clock when you start off the morning and before you pick up a load.
• Plan your speed to maximize fuel efficiency.
• Use your APU. If there is an issue with your APU, report it via Qualcomm right away so you will not get your idle time charged against you and we can get it scheduled for repair.
• Follow fuel routes.
• Communicate with your fleet manager on idle time, fuel solution compliance and miles weekly, don’t wait till the end of the month.
• Schedule longer home time at the end/beginning of months instead of long breaks in the middle of the month to keep your miles more consistent month to month.

Together we can improve your efficiency and Decker Truck Line’s and see larger bonus payouts for you each month. Call your fleet manager with any questions.

Company drivers can make an extra 1 penny to 4 cents per mile. Owner Operator drivers can make an extra 1 penny to 3 cents per mile. Lease Operators drivers can make an extra 1 penny to 4 cents per mile.

If you are interested in a position with Decker Truck Line, contact a recruiter now, 888.668.0698 or apply online at www.DriveDecker.com.

Written By: Jesse Butler

Jesse Butler is a driver recruiter for Decker Truck Line. She has worked within the trucking industry for over a decade. You can contact her at 406.203.4413. 

Apply directly to Decker Truck Line at www.DriveDecker.com