Butler Transport Company, No One Complaining!

It is the desire of all truckers to find a company where they receive decent compensation and one where the atmosphere is congenial. There are many companies in the trucking industry that truckers consider either good or bad employers. Following is a review of a company for which no trucker complaints have been found.

Butler Transport is headquartered in Kansas City, KS, with one terminal. It has 200 trucks and 12 owner operators. Its hiring area covers 48 states from New York to California. George Butler founded the company in 1988 and is its current President. They haul both refrigerated and dry freight.

Their equipment includes 2006-07 T-600 Kenworths and 2006-07 Freightliner Columbias, all of which feature C15 Caterpillar engines with 435 multi-torque horsepower. It also has 2007 Peterbilts with the same engines and horsepower. All of their equipment has Qualcomm satellite tracking and messaging systems, which make for easy communication with the drivers.

The company employs both solo and team drivers, as well as offering individual and owner-operator opportunities. The compensation packages are designed accordingly. For example, for an owner-operator they list:

Lumpers Paid

Paid Plates, Permits, & Tolls

90 cpm Base Pay and Fuel Surcharge on all dispatched miles (loaded and empty)

Paid Cargo and General Liability Insurance

Fuel Cards Provided

Fleet Discounted Fuel

For company drivers:

.34 cpm to start (.23 base, .09 per diem, .02 bonus depending on miles driven)

Automatic raise of 1/2 cpm every 60,000 miles

In addition, the company has numerous compensation and benefit packages. These include health, life, dental and 401 plans. They also have vacation, layover, and stop pay. There are awards for safety and longevity awards and they have a home time, passenger, and no touch policies, as well as other benefits.

Applicants must have a Class A CDL and 2 years over the road (OTR) experience. The company offers employment in both national and regional fleets. Their site states that, "Butler Transport continues to offer driver associates a top-ranked pay and benefit package backed with a guarantee to always provide consistency, integrity, respect, and support in the work environment".

As with any company considered for employment it is important to compare them with others offering trucking jobs. A look at the pay, benefits, bonuses, and other things need to be considered. Often talking to drivers currently employed by a company will reveal any plusses and minuses of the job. An offer of good pay, for example, is nil if sufficient mileage is not assigned. A company that understands the importance of a reliable home policy is also important. If a good search is conducted, it is not difficult to find a good fit that benefits both the trucker and the company involved.