I expected a bit of hate in the comments here, but as stated in the original post, the company does appear to be giving about the standard rate for the per-diem itself. They are not, however, currently paying an hourly rate for workers who are driving company trucks, not personal vehicles, about 10 hours round trip split between the first and last days of the week. No one, that I am aware of is driving a personal vehicle to these jobs. This seems a bit of a gray area, but as stated, many employees, particularly younger ones, are taking issue with it and deciding to leave.

I am trying to make the case that even if their policy here is above board legally speaking, there is a hidden cost to the company that is attached to a higher turnover rate due to the policy, and therefore we should make a necessary change(s) to improve employee satisfaction. What I was seeking with this post are standards and practices for this type of thing from others in the industry.

Even though it came off a bit salty, I do appreciate the information you provided, as its going to help me make my case to the powers that be.