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Drivers’ Other Travel Expenses
In addition to the expense of renting a motel room, drivers
also incurred expenses for truck parking, showers, laundry,
cleaning supplies for the cab, sheets for the sleeper berth, and
Federal Express charges for shipping bills of lading. Drivers
also incurred expenses for their meals. Truck parking cost
approximately $5 to $10 per night, if free parking could not be
obtained. Each shower at a truck stop cost approximately $5 to
$6. Laundry cost between $5.50 and $8 per week. Federal Express
charges were approximately $8 per week.
Continental drivers were free to spend (or not spend) the
per diem in any manner they chose. Drivers generally spent all
of the per diem on the travel expenses they incurred while
working for Continental. The per diem, however, did not and
could not cover all of the expenses drivers incurred, even for a
driver who lived frugally and stayed in a motel only 2 or 3
nights per month. The per diem was insufficient to pay for a
nightly motel in addition to meals.
Continental’s Payroll, Accounting, and Recordkeeping
Continental’s accounting and payroll system tracked miles
driven, not days worked. In 1994, Continental purchased a new
computer system and software designed for the trucking industry
at a cost in excess of $400,000. The new system tracked only
miles driven, not number of days worked. To track and pay per
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Last modified: May 25, 2011