To address the growing need for qualified drivers within the industry and to retain the high caliber talent, Lafayette LA-based Dupré Logistics’ Energy Distribution Services group has announced a bold financial move--a 5% to 9% pay increase for its professional drivers.
“In our Energy Distribution Services group, as in all of our work, we need qualified, high-caliber drivers to operate safely and efficiently,” said Tom Voelkel, chief operating officer and president of Dupré Logistics. “This pay increase is part of a larger Dupré strategy to build the ‘Ideal Place to Work’, providing the best driving jobs available in the industry. Other industries are creating better jobs and we must compete with these industries for this talent.”
“The decision to enact this pay increase makes a lot of sense,” said Director of Operations, Energy Distribution Services Tony Becnel. “We value our team highly and feel this pay increase will help us retain current team members and attract new drivers.”
The almost 500 drivers in the Energy Distribution Services business group working throughout the Gulf South Region are receiving the increase in the rollout between October 2014 and January 2015. The goal of the pay increase is to address the Dupré growth strategy while making sure that the driver pay scale is at the top of the market.
Dupré pays its drivers by the hour — a rarity in the industry it serves. The wage increase is a response to the ever-increasing responsibilities associated with the job. Hourly pay positively affects drivers' safety and pays drivers for all of the time they work, unlike mileage or percentage pay, while also allowing for safe driver capacity that provides a great total value to clients.
The pay increase already has proven attractive to new drivers. As a result, Dupré has expanded its workforce with highly trained, highly experienced individuals capable of meeting the capacity needs and high service demands of the industry.