General
SlipSeat is a freelance marketplace where CDL drivers and owner operators are the sellers and carriers are the buyers.
We make it fast and easy to find the type of driver you need with the experience you want.
When you find the right driver for the job, you can either message them if you have particular questions or book them outright for a particular day or block of days.
After the work is completed, we'll pay the driver and either charge your credit card or bill you (if applicable).
If you liked your driver and want to hire him as a company driver, go ahead. There are no placement fees.
SlipSeat empowers drivers unlike any transportation company before. Drivers have complete freedom and control. SlipSeaters drive like a Boss:
- Name your own rate
- Work only when you want
- Choose what companies to work with
- Get paid faster than an employee would
- Earn substantial residual for referrals (over time, enough to quit your day job!)
Find drivers faster, better, cheaper than ever before.
Faster - Book the perfect driver for the job in a matter of minutes & have a SlipSeater on site in an hour or two.
Better - No placement/finder’s fees – When you find a great driver that fits well with your group, it's only natural to want to hire them. We say go for it!
Cheaper - Replacing your in-house driver pool with one that’s pay-as-you-go cuts your costs by 15%. Additionally, the cost of On-Demand Staffing is 40% less than that of traditional temporary staffing.
Transparency is critical to the SlipSeat community's overall well being.
Reviews on Drivers can only be left by verified purchasers. Reviews on Carriers can only be left by past service providers.
In addition to the mandatory Star Rating, both parties are encouraged to leave constructive feedback for the other party and honest assessments for future users.
- All SlipSeaters are Interstate - DOT rules apply
- Rates are hourly & non-negotiable
- Carriers pay for OnDuty hours, Practical Route tolls, and contract driver fuel
- No gig can last more than 30 days
- Gigs may run consecutively - you may book a SlipSeater indefinitely, but only in 30 day blocks
- Gigs may be booked 6 months in advance
- Carriers are free to hire any driver, with whom they have previously contracted, for full-time employment
Loads get cancelled and accidents happen - the reality is that things don't always go as planned within the world of transportation. What sets the professionals apart is the ability to make things go smoothly even when they aren't necessarily going right.
We expect ALL USERS to act professionally, responsibly and ethically at ALL times, both online and offline.
SlipSeaters
SlipSeat does accept highly experienced drivers without a referral, but we're kinda picky:
- Minimum Age: 25
- Years of Experience: 5+
- Moving Violations: Max 2 in last 3 years
- Accidents: Max 1 in last 3 years
For those that don't qualify, our SlipSeat Ambassador positions are open to anyone, no CDL required. Ambassadors refer and help onboard drivers and are compensated based on the production of those drivers.
SlipSeat's Driver Onboarding process is very similar to a standard DOT one - we do a few more checks than required and you need to create a profile, but otherwise it's very similar.
- Create a Driver Profile (15 min)
- Complete a DOT application (30+ min)
- Supporting Documents
- "Pre-employement" drug screen
At this point you are legal and searchable on the site. We'll continue with background checks and verifications. When completed, we will put a "verified" stamp on your profile to let carriers know.
There are two pieces to a driver's profile - the part that the driver provides and the part that SlipSeat provides (all of your DOT verified information).
Aside from great pictures (ideally your main pic should be 1400 x 933), one of the best ways to stand out is with a well written description of yourself. It doesn't have to be long, but it should be informative.
If you don't know what to charge, you are not alone. Our best advice is charge whatever you feel you are worth but remember to account for your taxes, insurance and other business expenses such as fees to SlipSeat.
For example, if you wanted to take home $25.00/hour after taxes, you'll likely want to a rate in the $40 to $45 range.
If you need additional help look at the profiles of others in your area with similar experience.
SlipSeaters are under no obligation to accept a gig booking request. However, after you accept a request, you are committed.
To be clear, once you accept, it is up to you to complete the gig assignment to the buyer's satisfaction, regardless of the circumstances.
Meet & Greets go a long way toward building trust — after all, the customer is entrusting you with 80,000 lbs. We recommend arranging a Meet & Greet for all potential new clients. These meetings usually take place at the location where the booking will occur (most likely a terminal or dock).
- When meeting a potential client, make sure to find out exactly what is expected of you and, if needed, explain to them what they will get and will not get as a service from you. Forming the right expectations will help avoid any misunderstanding and potential bad ratings.
- Before you leave, you should know where to pick up and drop off the truck, keys, paperwork, etc. Be sure to have a phone number for emergencies and any special instructions.
- You should also understand how frequently they wish to be updated.
You should request a meeting even if the customer doesn't because it is one of the best ways to make yourself stand out and inspire confidence.
Our goal is to pay within 24 hours, but initially we will pay drivers within one week.
When you become DOT legal, we will take a snapshot of your DQF. You have control over this DQF file. You can email it off to prospective customers and existing customers can download it as needed.
Once your information is verified, we will take another snapshot of your now verified DQF. SlipSeat controls this file but you have access to it. This is the one that carriers will need in the event of an audit, so we will hold it for a minimum of 3 years from your last gig date.
Felonies are handled as discretely as possible. There is no discernible difference between a driver profile with a felony and one without. Both types will show up in searches made by logged out users or the general public.
Carriers that want to modify search results to exclude drivers with felonies should do so when registering an account (it's a checkbox option). When logged in, all searches made by that user will reflect his or her choice.
Carriers
Drivers self certify. After a clear "pre-employment" drug screen, we create the DQF which the drivers then manage.
Carriers have access to DQFs prior to starting with a new driver. In addition, you may request these files from drivers themselves or SlipSeat at anytime. SlipSeat keeps DQFs for a minimum of 3 years from a driver's last activity.
Operationally, SlipSeaters manage their own HOS.
Drivers may opt to have SlipSeat verify the information and complete the DOT onboarding processes like a driver leasing company would - background checks, employment verifications, MVRs, etc.
Drivers who elect to do so receive a special badge on their profile picture (red circle with a white check mark) and have a an information box on the profile that contains the date verified.
- A driver comes to sell on SlipSeat
- We pre-qualify the driver to DOT specs and insure all his paperwork is in order
- A Carrier finds a SlipSeater to work a gig
- Carrier & SlipSeater hammer out the details
- SlipSeater accepts the booking for up to 30 days
- SlipSeater completes gig
- Carrier signs off on completion and rates SlipSeater
- SlipSeater signs off on completion and rates Carrier
- Gig is finalized - Carrier and SlipSeater go their separate ways
- SlipSeat pays SlipSeater
- Carrier pays SlipSeat
- SlipSeat maintains DQF for 3 years
SlipSeat provides the same functionality as a driver pool. It's just a pay-as-you-go one that's shared between carriers. Operationally speaking, that would be coverage for no shows & vacations.
However, because we charge no placement fees, SlipSeat provides an excellent avenue for carriers that want to streamline recruitment and onboarding using a more practical "Try & Buy" approach - giving a few practice runs to evaluate "fit" before offering employment.
For those carriers, using SlipSeat in this manner would offset the effects of turnover and absenteeism while providing much needed resources for growth and revenue.
In today's ELD environment, the fairest compensation for drivers is hourly, especially when dealing with unknowns such as customer wait times. Hourly rates also eliminate custom project quotes, reducing the time it takes to get a driver behind the wheel.
Since DOT rules apply, there is no overtime or detention pay, but you pay for all hours used, regardless of whether the truck moves.
Payments can be made via credit card, ACH, or wire transfer. Minimum billing is $100, which will go towards the driver's show up pay in the event of a last minute cancellation. Under this scenario, the carrier would be the Payor of Record.
Consolidated billing (invoicing) is available for existing customers for a nominal commit. In this case, SlipSeat would become the Payor of Record for drivers.
SlipSeat is perfect for drivers that want to be their own boss. However, we recognize that some drivers want the safety and security of working for a company. If we can help a driver land the job of his or her dreams, we would be honored to do it.
If, during the normal course of business, you find a driver that you want to hire, go for it!