A lot’s been happening at ATS — and there's plenty of good news and exciting updates to share. In the past few months, we’ve brought back in-person training, boosted lease pay, and added new tech to make your job easier (and greener). Here’s what’s new from Q2 and the first half of Q3.
Annual In-Person (AIP) Training Updates
After pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Annual In-Person (AIP) meetings returned in January, and the feedback so far has been positive all around.
AIP is a mandatory safety meeting where we highlight the fleet’s successes, address areas for improvement, and work together as a team. Drivers have appreciated the opportunity to share their input in person, and it’s been wonderful to see so many familiar faces in the halls of the St. Cloud office!
While AIP attendance is mandatory, it is not a lecture — it's a roundtable discussion in which everyone is encouraged to speak their mind. Our aim is to give drivers the space and safety to share their experiences, brush up on their skills and knowledge, and pursue professional improvement.
Ultimately, we want drivers to walk away with a strong support network that will continue well beyond the end of their time in the room.
To that end, we've recently begun welcoming representatives from our maintenance team and driver support teams to our AIP roundtables. This has helped to raise their visibility in the drivers' worlds and gives all parties a chance to discuss the various challenges and successes they share.
In every AIP meeting, we also recognize drivers for their safety achievements, whether they’re receiving a Safety-Driven Driver award or celebrating one million safe miles.
We work hard to make AIP an enjoyable opportunity for drivers to connect, ask questions, and share experiences from the road. After all, fellow drivers who have been in your shoes are an excellent resource for answers and problem solving!
Many drivers have found mentors during AIP — will you be the next to make a rewarding connection? If you haven’t attended yet, talk to your Driver Manager about getting signed up for a session at ATS in St. Cloud!
New Lease Pay Package
Starting June 1, 2025, ATS introduced a new lease pay package for both dry van and flatbed contractors.
This change increased pay by 5 percent for independent contractors in both fleets, bringing pay to 70-72 percent for dry van contractors and 70-75 percent for flatbed drivers, depending on experience.
Eligible drivers can expect to add 5 percent to whatever their previous percentage was. For example, a driver previously earning 67 percent will now be earning 72 percent under the new package.
This increase in pay does come with changes to drivers' weekly fixed expenses, including:
- $50/week license plate charge
- $50/week trailer fee (Across all trailer types)
- New option to pay $2.98/week for a driver legal plan
The new pay package was designed to help balance these expenses by increasing what contractors are taking home in the long run, after all expenses.
Since the launch of the new package, the market has seen some long-awaited rate recovery. That means contractors are already taking home more than they were just a few months ago, and as the market recovers from the historically long-lived freight recession, the switch to this program should only continue to benefit contractors.
Technology Updates
Fleet Sustainability
In June, ATS put our first solar-powered auxiliary power units (APUs) on the road. A total of 25 trucks were outfitted with the units, which improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on diesel fuel.
By incorporating this sustainable technology into our fleet, we are not only doing our part for the planet, but also demonstrating our commitment to making improvements that will positively impact our drivers' experience.
Driver App Updates
Get ready for a faster, more streamlined experience in your ATS Driver App. We've recently made changes around the image upload process aimed at improving overall ease of submission.
Feel like you've spent hours staring at a spinning circle, waiting for your photo to upload successfully? Those days are gone: We've modernized image retrieval and reduced the number of steps needed to submit. Your experience will now be all but instantaneous, so you can move on to your next task efficiently.
Looking Ahead
Every change we’ve made this year — from updated training and pay to new technology and sustainability efforts — is about making your experience at ATS better, safer, and more rewarding.
As we move through the rest of the year, we’ll keep looking for ways to support you on the road and set you up for success. Thank you for everything you do to keep our fleet moving forward.