Lower pay doesn’t help an Operator other than volume of work. It doesn’t make you richer/ better profit margin. I’d argue it makes you poorer because the drivers won’t feel they are invested in the company, won’t feel valued, so they’ll do the bare minimum.
My point still stands about Suttons; do they walk away and say not doing it for the price or do they chip the only cost they have any control over? Neithers a good outcome.