Flatbed Freight: Moving America with Averitt

Starting a new job at a new company can feel intimidating. That was Jackie Earwood’s first thought when he started working for Averitt Express as a flatbed driver back in 2012.

“The people here are happy. The camaraderie has been one of the fondest memories I’ve had at Averitt because I’ve gotten to know most of the flatbed drivers and we’re all buddies,” Earwood says.

Our flatbed associates like Jackie, pictured above, travel throughout the South and Midwest earning great pay and benefits while getting home time every single week for 34-48 hours. Averitt’s flatbed freight is moved from customer to customer and entails primarily hauling steel, lumber and building materials, but never logs, hay, crushed cars, cowhides, or trash. We get 87% of our regional flatbed drivers home by noon on Saturdays, but they have the option to stay out longer.

“I’m home every Friday, and quite a few times I’m home during the week. I’ve only been out one weekend since I’ve been with Averitt,” explains Jackie. “The home time is great. If I have home time scheduled, I’m there. That’s important.”

The company culture is another thing Jackie likes about being an Averitt driver.

“It’s wonderful,” he says. “You come in and everyone treats you like somebody, not just another driver.”

Jackie has also been really impressed with the benefits programs here at Averitt.

“We’ve got the best insurance and 401(k) plan. The profit sharing is also different than any other place I’ve been to,” says Jackie. “Averitt gives 20% of the profits to associates, and it pays wonderful.”

Our profit-sharing plan gives associates the ability to benefit from the company’s success. It is the ultimate form of teamwork. A portion of profits is given back through direct deposit to each associate’s 401(k) retirement account every month. Not only does this give us a way to reward our associates for their hard work, but it also allows them to build wealth through their retirement funds.

“Averitt is a great company,” adds Jackie. “The equipment is top-notch and they keep a daily focus on safe operations. Straight up, a great company.”

Averitt runs a 15-state flatbed area in the following states: AL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV.  We have minor coverage for specific customers in southern MI, TX and LA, but no NYC or Canada!         

As for additional pay, Averitt pays loaded or empty with lots of extras, such as $15 load-secure fee paid on every load, $60 tarp pay, $30 on re-tarp or un-tarp and $100 stop pay (beyond origin or destination).

For a load picked up from the yard that requires un-tarping before delivery, we pay $7.50 per load. Averitt also pays for breakdown time, layover ($200 after a 24-hour period) and detention ($20/hour after two hours for majority of customers) as well as Minimum Mileage Pay.

This doesn’t begin to cover all the great advantages our flatbed driver associates love about Averitt! Interested in hearing more about that? Reach out to us today!