XTL counters HOS with increased delay pay

TORONTO, (Feb. 3, 2004) — Following the example of a handful of large U.S. carriers, XTL Group of Companies became one of the first Canadian fleets to announce improvements in paid waiting and delay time to help offset a potential reduction in earning capacity of drivers and owner-operators due to new hours-of-service regulations.

XTL president Serge Gagnon said the company is now paying waiting time after the first hour for loading and unloading, as compared to after two hours previously. The per-hour rate has increased from $17.55 to $25.00 per hour for owner-operators, and from $10.00 to $15.00 per hour for company drivers in Quebec, and to $16.25 per hour for drivers based in Ontario.

Through this program, XTL is encouraging its drivers to report any excessive time spent doing non-driving work, including time spent waiting for paperwork, loading or unloading time over one hour, and waiting for dispatch, etc. In addition, the company is working with its customers to identify and reduce bottlenecks that create delays.

“When you calculate the value of time, you must consider what a driver or owner-operator makes per mile and how many miles they are now allowed to drive in a day,” says XTL’s human resources manager Michelle Drew. “It would not be fair to pay them any less per hour when they are waiting at a dock for loading or unloading.”