NTI’s Mission

The National Transportation Institute’s core mission is to build opportunities for fleets to grow by attracting the right personnel and expanding in their marketplace with a workforce that’s appropriately compensated, engaged, and retained.

What We Do

NTI’s proprietary research is considered the gold standard for driver wage and compensation data. We provide verified, accurate, and actionable benchmarking studies that allow motor carriers to gain an authoritative knowledge of what’s happening in the marketplace and inform critical operational decisions. Our products do this by leveraging real-time, granular data with 180 unique attributes of compensation packages across segments, applications, trailer types, and fleet sizes. NTI’s proprietary research also provides data on technician and owner-operator pay, custom reporting for city-centric hiring, and private fleet compensation information. 

Leveraging our team’s experience and deep understanding of trucking and motor carrier operations, we provide targeted consultation with motor carriers to help engage their workforce from pre-hire to retirement. NTI gives these organizations the tools they need to create an environment that enables growth and fosters foundational relationships with their staff.

Our Background

The National Transportation Institute was founded in 1995 with the goal of providing accurate and authoritative benchmarks to companies where professional truck drivers are vital by focusing on market data, surveys, research, and analysis. NTI prides itself in taking a partnership-based approach to helping fleets understand compensation trends and make critical operational decisions.

Our Leadership Team

NTI’s work is underpinned by a team with decades of real-world experience in trucking, driver recruiting, human resources, data analysis, and industry reporting.

Leah Shaver

President & Chief Executive Officer

As President and CEO of NTI, Leah leads the company’s engagement with motor carriers and private fleets to utilize wage and compensation data as critical benchmarking tools to drive recruiting and retention goals. In her 22-year career in trucking, Leah has specialized in developing and implementing programs to attract and retain an engaged, satisfied, and appropriately compensated workforce of professional drivers and technicians. Leah regularly communicates with the industry via live speaking engagements and through webinars and media appearances. As a host on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Radio, Leah is also an active participant in the driving community. She served three terms on the Board of Directors of the Women in Trucking Association and currently serves on the Next Generation in Trucking Association. Prior to joining NTI in 2015, Leah spent 14 years with a Midwest based multi-platform truckload carrier, where she led HR and driver recruiting departments.

Mark Shaver

Chief Operating Officer

Mark leads oversight of NTI’s flagship programs: the National Private Fleet Survey, National Dedicated Fleet Survey, National Survey of Driver Wages, National Driver Wage Index, and National City-Centric Driver Pay Survey. He also leads the development, implementation, and strategic architectural framework for all research and economic studies at NTI. He functions with both our in-house research analysts and fleet executives to design, develop, and deliver actionable driver pay studies and support critical corporate decision making. Prior to joining NTI, Mark spent 20 years in operations and sales with companies that operated truckload and LTL fleets nationwide. Having coined phrases such as “fill the bucket” to increase customer volume and “load them where they land” to increase loaded miles and to reduce deadhead, Mark is described by colleagues as someone whose expertise in transportation and logistics inspires. Creative and strategic freedom, profitability, employee growth, public safety, management of expenses, and job satisfaction are just a few of the things Mark brings to the table here at the National Transportation Institute.

James Jaillet

VP, Marketing

James leads NTI’s client communications and outreach. He leverages NTI’s data and relationships with motor carriers and private fleets to understand what’s happening in the freight markets, the driver market, the economy, and trucking industry trends. With this knowledge, he can communicate best practices and policies for creating effective recruiting and retention programs to fleets across the industry. Prior to joining NTI, James spent 12 years working in trucking and logistics media, where he talked daily with carriers, owner-operators, drivers, shippers, brokers, regulatory bodies, analysts, industry associations, equipment manufacturers, technology vendors, and other stakeholders about all aspects of the trucking industry. His expertise lies in business, regulations, equipment, lifestyle topics, and carrier-driver relationships. 

Organizations We Support

NTI proudly supports these non-profits, foundations, and industry organizations.

The National Transportation Institute is an active and passionate corporate citizen in the trucking industry. Our team is proud to assist associations and charities that aid drivers in times of need and that promote industry opportunities. 

Careers at The National Transportation Institute

For over 25 years, The National Transportation Institute (NTI) has been the most respected and well-known provider of professional truck driver and technician earnings, benefits, and best practices in North America. We aim to provide opportunities for fleets to grow, attract additional workers, and then expand their marketplace with an appropriately compensated, engaged, and retained workforce. 

NTI exclusively serves the transportation industry and understands how great the value of human capital is to our customers. Our diverse and highly skilled team members thrive in a collaborative, respectful, and flexible work environment. Here, we are focused on delivering results while balancing work, family, and fun.   

Are you interested in joining our dynamic and growing team? Send us an email to get the conversation started: info@driverwages.com. 

Are you a best-in-class driver looking for a best-in-class job? Are you interested in providing feedback to NTI?

Fill out the form below to receive our driver-focused communications and to receive information about best-in-class professional driving jobs.

Listen live every month

On the first Thursday of every month, NTI President & CEO Leah Shaver, aka the Sunshine Girl, goes live on air on SiriusXM Channel 146, Road Dog Trucking, to talk with drivers about all things pay. From paycheck questions to working with fleets on resolving issues around compensation, HR and legal, life on the road, and relationships with their employers, Payday on Road Dog Live dives into topics drivers care about most.

Catch every episode live on SiriusXM, SiriusXM.com, or the SiriusXM app, where you can also listen to episodes on demand.

Or to engage with Leah throughout the month on pay topics, follow her on Facebook and Instagram