Cowan Trucking started out as W.T. Cowan, Inc. in 1924. At the time, William T. Cowan, founder of the company, was running a single-truck operation hauling ice cream for Hendler’s from its creamery in Baltimore City to a commissary in D.C.
In its early days, the company had the honor of transporting the Iwo Jima Memorial statue (U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial). The company expanded from here, and as deregulation occurred in the industry, Cowan became an irregular route truckload carrier.
W.T. Cowan’s son, Joseph W. Cowan, opened Cowan Systems, LLC in 1994 as a new operation. Today, the company offers a wide range of services, including dedicated fleet services and fleet replacement. Their fleet now consists of nearly 2,000 power units.
Cowan Systems is currently headquartered in Baltimore, MD.
Cowan Systems Trucking Services
Cowan Systems offers customers a wide range of services to meet their shipping needs, including:
- Van
- Dry
- LTL/Partial
- Hazmat
- Heavy haul
- Flatbed
- Refrigerated
- TWIC
- Hotshot
- Dedicated
- Expedite
Dedicated
Cowan offers customer a customized transportation package through their dedicated fleet services. This package is designed to meet the customer’s specific needs.
Dedicated services offer many benefits, including:
- Long-term contracts with fixed pricing
- Dedicated administrative services
- Performance reporting
- Expertise to recruit, train and retain drivers
Intermodal
Cown has been offering both international and domestic intermodal trucking through their network of owner operators and agents.
Logistics
The company’s logistics unit serves customers coast to coast, and ensures that freight is shipped as efficiently as possible.
In addition to Cowan’s fleet of 2,000 trucks, the company also has more than 15,000 contract carriers in their network. Logistics can leverage this massive network to ensure that the customer’s needs are met.
Cowan Systems Driver Jobs
In addition to company drivers, Cowan also offers a lease purchase program for aspiring owner operators.
Company driver jobs include:
- Dedicated Local
- Regional Road
- Yard Jockey
All drivers must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a CDL A license
- Have at least one year of verifiable experience in the last three years
Through the lease purchase program, drivers are able to drive a new or certified pre-lease Peterbilt.
The program offers:
- $5,000 sign-on bonus
- Instant credit with no money down
- 300,000-mile warranty
- Factory-installed Omnitracs and APU
- Fuel discount
- Paid tolls and scales
- No trailer or equipment rental fees
- Majority drop/hook, no-touch freight
With Cowan’s lease purchase program, there’s no credit check, and drivers don’t have to put any money down. The company also offers their support to ensure a successful partnership.
Cowan Pay & Benefits
Cowan understands that their drivers are the backbone of their operation. To show their continued appreciation of their company drivers, Cowan recently raised their pay rates three times over.
Pay rates will depend on the location and the position. Looking at some of their current positions, we gathered the following pay rate information:
- Dedicated Local Driver in Aberdeen, MD: $60,000-$65,000 annually; 12-hour shifts; travel through MD, PA, DE, NJ and VA
- Regional Road, Dedicated Driver in Walpole, MA: $0.55cpm – $0.70cpm; 2,200-2,600 miles per week; $2,000 sign-on bonus, weekly home time; travel through NJ, MD, PA, DE, Ny, MA, NJ, ME
- Regional Road (not dedicated) in Sandston, VA: $0.45cpm-$0.60cpm; $70,000-$75,000 per year on average
- Yard Jockey in Allentown, PA: Starts at $19/hour; two raises in the first year
The pay rates listed on job postings is on par with data found on Indeed.com and our other pay tools.
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Cowan Pay Rankings
Summary
User Review
( votes)According to Indeed – and 16,600 posted salaries – drivers earn about $66,644 per year, on average.
Other listed salaries include:
- Courier Driver: $3,200/month (based on 5 salaries)
- Company Driver: $20.50/hour (based on 24 salaries)
- Local Driver: $59,316/year (based on 141 salaries)
- Driver: $58,272/year (based on 3 salaries)
- Owner Operator: $131,017/year (based on 6 salaries)
In addition to base compensation, drivers also receive benefits and some positions offer sign-on bonuses. For example, regional road drivers often get a $2,000 sign-on bonus when working for Cowan.
Regional drivers also have opportunities to earn more money by staying out longer than the 5-6 days standard.
Benefits include:
- Dental, health and vision after 60 days of employment
- 401(k) with company match
- $20,000 in life insurance
- Paid orientation, including lodging
- Guaranteed raises, with options to earn more when working a weekend or a 6th day
It’s rare for an employer to offer medical, dental and vision insurance after just 60 days of employment, but Cowan understands the importance of health care.
As far as home time goes, regional drivers can expect to be out for 5-5.5 days and home for 34-48 hours to reset. Local drivers may get more home time. Lease purchase drivers will have varying home times, depending on the route and service.
Cowan Trucking has been in the business for nearly a century, and throughout its history, the company has expanded its fleet significantly. High pay rates, a family-oriented environment and reliable work makes this company a popular choice among drivers with at least a year of experience.