Maverick Transportation Announces Raises In Driver Pay

Maverick Transportation will raise pay for experienced drivers and increase mileage pay in all its divisions, the company announced in a press release Tuesday.

Drivers with at least a year of driving over the road will be placed in higher starting pay ranges that increase with each year of driving. Experienced Maverick drivers will earn between $60,800 and $66,500, depending on years on the road and the division in which they drive. Drivers with new commercial licenses or less than six months of experience will earn an average of $53,000 their first year, while those with 6-12 months of experience will average about $57,500.

In July the company celebrated a $3.5 million expansion of its driver training center. At the event, Maverick Chairman and CEO Steve Williams voiced concerns about the increasing shortage of truck drivers. He said that the natural gas industry can pay its drivers much better wages, further reducing the pool of potential over-the-road drivers who will deliver freight for firms like Maverick.

“The reason I share that with you is that we’re at a pivotal point in our country on how we’re going to move freight in this country,” he said. “We have to recognize that things are different. They’re much different than they used to be. We’re trying to deal with that reality because it’s our obligation to try to make our driving jobs careers of choice and not of last resort.”

Maverick also recently announced a partnership with Arkansas State University’s Newport campus to sponsor students trying to earn a commercial license.

Based in North Little Rock, the carrier operates more than 1,400 units and travels throughout North America.