Driver & Contractor FAQ

The primary tractor fleet includes Volvo VNL 860 and Peterbilt 579 tractors, with Utility refrigerated trailers.

JASKO provides nationwide refrigerated transportation, with an emphasis on Arizona, Midwest and Southeast freight.

Company drivers start at $0.55–$0.60 CPM total, and can earn more through Driver Value Pay and Production Pay. Qualifying available drivers are also protected by a $1,500 weekly minimum under the compensation program. Final compensation details are confirmed during recruiting and documented before employment.

Current signed compensation terms govern CPM, per diem (up to $0.10 CPM, included within the total rate), accessorials and eligibility. Verify the latest offer with recruiting.

Weekly, by ACH direct deposit.

Paid vacation — five paid days annually after one year — and six paid holidays. JASKO does not currently offer health insurance or a retirement plan — we would rather tell you that plainly here than surprise you later. See the Benefits page for the full picture.

Our general target is approximately 7 days on the road followed by 1.5 days at home, depending on your location, freight availability, delivery appointments, and operating conditions. Home time is planned between you and dispatch — communicate your plans in advance so dispatch can arrange loads and position equipment. Freight conditions and unexpected delays can shift a schedule; when they do, you should hear it early, not at the last minute. Specific arrangements are reviewed during recruiting.

At least 23 years old, a valid Class A CDL, current medical qualification, and an acceptable driving, safety, and employment record. Two years of OTR experience is preferred. The Qualifications page carries the full list.

Yes. A documented road test is a mandatory part of JASKO’s driver qualification and orientation process, completed before your first dispatch.

Your complete record is reviewed under JASKO’s eligibility standards. SAP and return-to-duty history is generally not preferred; a three-year screening threshold applies. Federal disqualifications cannot be waived.

Passengers and pets are not permitted in JASKO vehicles. This policy is in effect through June 30, 2027, when our current insurance policy ends, and will be revisited at renewal.

Use the Apply Now link for the current secure application.

No. Paid or reserved truck stop parking is the driver’s expense, unless JASKO has approved it in advance for a specific situation — for example the New York / New Jersey area, where free parking is scarce (and not an area we run often).

You earn loyalty points every time you fuel JASKO equipment, and those points are yours to use. When free parking isn’t available, pay with points: Pilot Flying J (myRewards) lets you reserve a spot and pay with points in the app, online, or at the fuel desk. TA / Petro (earnify™ Pro) lets you redeem credits for reserved parking — points can’t pay the automated gate entry/exit fees. Love’s (Love’s Rewards) points cover showers and select amenities; paid and reserved parking varies by location.

Tell dispatch as soon as you’ve delivered, with your available hours. Planning your next load is dispatch’s job, and reload planning starts before you deliver whenever freight allows. Waiting is part of OTR — what you should never be left with is silence. If you’re sitting, you should know what dispatch is working on.

Notify dispatch as soon as the delay is clear, and record your arrival, appointment, and loading times accurately — detention is calculated from documentation. Qualifying detention pays $17.50/hour after the first two free hours, up to $125 per 24 hours. Missing paperwork usually means missing detention, so the times you record are what get you paid.

Stop somewhere safe and notify dispatch and maintenance with the problem, your location, and whether a loaded reefer is involved — cargo protection comes first. JASKO coordinates roadside or shop repair through its service network, and qualifying mechanical downtime pays $25/hour under the compensation program. Never keep driving a truck that isn’t safe to operate.

Contact dispatch or management immediately — don’t wait for your scheduled home time to raise it. We’ll work the problem with you: where you are, the load you’re under, and the practical options for getting you home. It can’t always be instant under a live load, but the conversation starts the moment you call.

Say so immediately, and say why — hours of service, fatigue, weather, or equipment condition. No JASKO driver is expected to violate hours-of-service rules or operate unsafe equipment; a load that can’t be run safely gets modified, rescheduled, or reassigned. Raising a real safety problem will never be held against you.

Report it promptly, with the trip, dates, and miles involved. Payroll reviews the trip records against your compensation terms, and a confirmed error is corrected through the payroll process. Check your statement every week — a discrepancy is easy to fix early and hard to reconstruct months later.

Slow weeks happen; that’s the business. Qualifying company drivers who stay available and accept lawful, safe, reasonable assignments are protected by the $1,500 weekly minimum under the compensation program. Availability is the driver’s side of that bargain.

Plan non-urgent questions for business hours — that’s the honest answer. If it’s urgent — safety, an accident, a reefer alarm threatening cargo — use the after-hours escalation path from orientation and Driver Best Practices. A true emergency is 911 first, then notify the company.

Don’t argue, don’t dispose of anything, and don’t leave until dispatch tells you to. Notify dispatch immediately, photograph the freight and the seals, and document exactly what the receiver said and did. The office works the next step out with the customer — your documentation is what protects the claim.

Check the basics you’re trained for — setpoint, mode, fuel, alarm codes — and notify dispatch and maintenance immediately; don’t wait for morning. The trailers are monitored, but your call starts the response. Cargo protection comes before everything else.

Damage is investigated on its facts — what happened, and how. Nobody is charged automatically; any determination follows the investigation, company procedure, and applicable law. The quickest way to turn a small incident into a serious problem is not reporting it. Report damage when it happens.

A breakdown is a maintenance event, not an accusation. Report defects early — your inspection reports are the record that you did your part. If a failure traces back to something that was reported and not addressed, that record matters, and it protects you.

No — planning your next load is dispatch’s job, and reload planning starts before you deliver whenever freight allows. Your side is accurate, timely updates: arrived, loaded or unloaded, available hours. If you’re empty and haven’t heard anything, one call or message is always appropriate.

It can happen — freight and customers don’t always cooperate. When it does, you’re told as early as dispatch knows, and the target (about 7 out, 1.5 home) stays the plan we work back to. Home time requested early is home time we can protect.

Tell us, give reasonable notice, and bring the equipment back clean and complete. How you leave matters here, and it’s remembered the right way — drivers who leave clean are welcome back. Abandoning a truck or a load is the opposite, and it follows a driver. Final pay and any reconciliation follow the normal schedule and the written terms.

Yes. JASKO works with qualified independent owner-operators who meet JASKO’s standards and applicable regulatory requirements.

Self-dispatch may be available under JASKO-approved procedures and contract terms.

Discuss trailer type, equipment and insurance requirements before onboarding.

JASKO trailers may be available under the contractor agreement. Trailer options — your own trailer, a rented trailer, or a JASKO refrigerated trailer — are set out in the agreement.

Refrigerated, dry van, and flatbed equipment may be considered, subject to JASKO approval, operating requirements, and available freight.

Ask recruiting about current fuel and tire program eligibility.

Your executed contractor agreement and settlement statements determine payment and deductions.

Settlements are processed weekly once required load documentation is received, with deductions itemized on your settlement statement.

Yes. Operations under JASKO’s authority run on Motive electronic logging devices, supporting hours-of-service compliance.

Contractors provide the coverage specified in the contractor agreement. The Owner-Operators page sets out the insurance requirements in detail, and Recruiting reviews them with you before you sign.

Yes. Every independent contractor maintains a $2,500 security escrow under the agreement, whatever trailer arrangement you run. Out-of-state contractors using a JASKO-provided trailer maintain a further $2,500 trailer security escrow for the trailer’s return and authorized equipment obligations; Arizona-based contractors are not charged the additional trailer escrow. An escrow may be applied only toward documented deductions authorized under the written agreement, with all deductions itemized and accounted for. Any remaining escrow balance is refunded within 45 days after termination of the agreement, in accordance with the agreement and applicable federal Truth-in-Leasing regulations (49 CFR § 376.12(k)).