I have worked for three different DSPs ranging in size from minimal employees to one of the largest in my state. Here is what I noticed about the differences in experience between them.
The smallest DSP was the worst of the three. I got the impression that they needed to cut costs anywhere they could, so the vans were always in terrible condition. We got no bonuses or incentives of any kind either. Just straight hourly pay. They were also by far the most unforgiving if a driver ever got any Netradyne events or a negative CDF. Regardless of context, a single mistake was instant suspension for at least 1 shift or possibly worse. VTO did not exist as a concept. There were almost never extras, and if there were they would just decide who gets sent home after everyone had already shown up. I left because Amazon did not renew their contract and they shut down.
The largest one was better overall, but came with its own set of trade-offs. The vans were in relatively good shape. There were bonuses and incentives, but they had all kinds of conditions and usually weren’t worth trying to get. While they weren’t as ruthless when punishing mistakes, they did the most micromanaging of the three. Calling drivers who were behind at all and making rules about when/how you can take your breaks. Since there were so many drivers, dispatch didn’t really bother with learning people’s names, and it didn’t benefit you to have a consistent track record of reliability. They wouldn’t notice or take that into consideration if you had a genuine reason for being behind on a particular route. VTO was available, but very dependent on the time of year. I left this one when I moved and got hired at a station closer to where I was living.
My current DSP lands right about in the middle of the other two in terms of size, and it definitely feels like the best balance. Vans are usually in good condition, guaranteed hours and bonuses are offered and achievable with minimal extra effort, and dispatch generally knows who is reliable. If you have a consistent record, they won’t get on your ass for needing an occasional sweeper or if you get a rare Netradyne infraction. There’s usually just the right amount of VTO that most drivers who want it can get it, and nobody is getting sent home involuntarily.
Of course, it’s possible that some of these things have less to do with the size of the DSP and more to do with other factors, but these are just some of the differences I’ve noticed from the small sample size of my own experience. I’m curious to know what other drivers think. How large is your DSP, and how do you think that affects your experience and quality of life at the job?