For more than 10 years, Cottingham & Butler has conducted an annual benchmarking survey of Employee Compensation and Benefits specific to the trucking industry. We provide two separate survey results – one specific to all Trucking and one specific to the Tank/Bulk segment. It is important to note that this year’s survey was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is the distribution of the carriers by load type of this year’s survey’s respondents.
2020 Trucking Survey Compensation Highlights Driver Compensation
The majority (78%) of motor carriers reported to pay some or all drivers by the mile, with the average pay per mile increasing from $0.47 to $0.50. 65%+ of motor carriers also pay bonuses for referrals, safety and clean DOT. In addition, 50% of motor carriers pay per diem with a daily average of $42.22. The survey includes a detailed breakdown of compensation by pay type, as well as load type. Below are charts from the report containing some highlights:
Non-Driver Compensation
Compensation for non-driver roles saw varied responses. Mechanic/technician pay increased by nearly 10% increase from the prior year, while other roles such as safety director, fleet manager, and customer service had minor changes and slight decreases in the average pay reported across all survey participants. The chart below represents averages for all segments of the trucking industry. The Tank/Bulk averages were 5%-10% higher across all positions.
2020 Trucking Survey Benefit Package Observations & Highlights
Medical/Rx Plan Annual Cost per Employee – The average gross Medical and Rx cost per employee in 2020 was up just slightly compared to the prior year, from $9,640 to $9,680 per employee per year in the ALL trucking survey. In the Tank/Bulk survey, it went from $10,426 to $10,652 per employee per year.
Medical/Rx Plan Designs – For the first time in 5 years, the average health plan deductibles increased, although slightly. Average deductibles were up to $3,100 from the prior 4 years at $3,000. Out-of-pocket maximums, office copays, and pharmacy copays remained relatively flat from the prior year. The Tank/Bulk Segment average deductible rose from $2,700 to $2,900 this year.
Plan Options
In 2020 more employers offered a second health plan as an option for employees. In the prior year, 43% of employers only offered 1 plan, with that number down to 34% in 2020. 56% of employers offered a Consumer Driven Health Plan with a Health Savings Account or Health Reimbursement Accounts as one of their plan options.
Employee Contributions for Health Insurance
Survey participants reported very similar rates in 2020 compared to the prior year, with a slight increase in average amounts charged for family coverage.
Our team would be happy to discuss the results of the full 41-page survey report as you plan into 2021.
You may contact either Kim Beck at kbeck@cottinghambutler.com or Jamie Bishop at jbishop@cottinghambutler.com.