The labor deal, which covers 65,000 union truckers, must next be ratified by a mail vote of Teamster freight members.
The agreement, which covers wages, pensions, work rules and health care, will cost affected employers at least $1.7 billion over five years, according to the Teamsters union.
The deal comes some seven weeks ahead of the March 31 expiration of the current five-year pact. It will add $2.25 over the next five years to the $19.90 average hourly wage paid to drivers and cargo handlers, according to Teamsters spokesman Bret Caldwell.
He said the deal also keeps healthcare benefits at current levels, including no worker premiums and no co-payments by union members for medical services.
The contract, whose terms were expected to be adopted by other smaller unionized carriers in the fragmented LTL segment, also calls for air-conditioned cabs for drivers on city routes and bars employers from subcontracting work to Mexican carriers.
