Ascend Trucking, a dry van full truckload carrier based in Nashville, Tennessee, with terminals and support hubs across the Southeast and Midwest, recently announced a compensation increase for its lease and lease-to-purchase operators.
Effective Oct. 21 lease operators saw a 20% compensation increase. Rates increased from $1.16 to $1.40 per loaded mile, and from $1.07 to $1.15 per empty mile. Lease-to-purchase operators saw a 29% compensation increase growing to $1.50 per loaded mile and $1.15 per empty mile.
Ascend Trucking said it does not compensate with percentage pay to protect our business partners from volatility within the spot market. Offering compensation per mile allows contractors increased financial stability, the company said.
“We are so pleased to implement these rate increases to help our lease operators and lease-to-purchase operators maximize their earning power,” said Jessica Thompson, general manager of Ascend Trucking. “We recognize the continual hard work and impressive skills contractors apply to their businesses. Our goal is to show support for their partnership, and we are confident the compensation increase will do just that.”
Ascend Trucking’s lease and lease-to-purchase operators will receive benefits beyond a compensation increase, including flexible scheduling, access to sustainable weekly lease payments, no forced dispatch, fuel and parts discounts, along with 100% no-touch freight.
Launched earlier this year, Ascend is built on the foundations of over 50 years of service provided by firms brought together to form the company. Along with Ascend Trucking’s IC program, Ascend offers a large asset-based fleet, an extensive brokerage business, and a warehouse management division focused on the needs of middle-mile shippers.
