Pros
Independent contractor status gives you some flexibility. As long as you have a DOT certified driver on the route, can take as many days off as you can afford. As to having a permanent temp at each terminal, with a van, I do not agree with that. I worked a rural terminal, and we always had temp drivers available. Management needs to realize that there is the possiblity of service going down when a temp is on the route, just because people do things differently, and customers interact with different drivers depending on the driver's personality, familiarity, and other factors.
Cons
They need to be more sensitive as to personal issues, family illness, funerals, etc. Had one contractor tell me that he had a major problem getting time off for a funeral. I noticed at my terminal, during the tenure of my last terminal manager, that the P & D coordinator had a lot of spare time on his hands, and was brazen enough to tell all of us contractors that he might be subbing at a local school district to supplement his income, which by the way, was more than what some of us contractors made. That is pure horse hockey. The first terminal manager would send a different P & D contractor out with the temp drivers.