That's ok mate, I've been setting up my templates this way for years. it's second nature by now.

Bristol_Jonesey
Huh?
 
How can Sonar ever be aware of the position of your hardware fader?
 
If your Export is low in volume then there's something wrong with your export procedure, nowt to do with hardware outside of Sonar.

Ah. Yes. Thank you all for the good ideas. 
 
I think the best solution for me is to get one of those physical volume controls. 
 
I work at different times of the day which require extreme variations in volume so I can't just set the monitor's own volume control at the loudest I would ever want it. 
 
I tried using my audio interface's master volume (software mixer) but that is a pain in the neck for me. 
 
Selecting a specific bus during export could work well in the interim. 
 

This is where we differ - I keep all of the outputs feeding into my interface at 0dB, always and without exception, but I control my monitoring volume externally through a small mixing desk.
 
If you keep them as low as you are showing in your screenshot then your exports will not be utilising anything like the full resolution of your converters resulting in a degradation of your final product.
 
The specific bus for export will work but you must keep it at 0dB. If this results in clipping then the entire gain staging of the project needs to be looked at and attenuated appropriately.
 
Good luck!

For $55 there is the TC Electronic Level Pilot. It has no power supply and is passive. Probably going to get that. The other hardware options are too expensive. In addition, many of the reviews claim an audible degradation of sound and/or coloration. 
 
Has anyone used the TC Electronic Level Pilot? 

Bristol_Jonesey
If you keep them as low as you are showing in your screenshot then your exports will not be utilising anything like the full resolution of your converters resulting in a degradation of your final product.
 

I don't keep my master faders like that when I export. I keep them like that when I am working in the middle of the night and my family is asleep. I do all critical work with the master faders at unity. All of my exports are done at unity. None of my tracks clip anywhere in the signal chain. 
 
 

Good!

There is nothing wrong with setting the mains levels like you are doing. That's what the gainstage there is for - its a built in hardware gainstage for those that don't have an easy control on the hardware.
The only small downside to setting those is that you have to remember to ignore it in your mix like I suggested. Also its not a global setting but per project.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
There is nothing wrong with setting the mains levels like you are doing. That's what the gainstage there is for - its a built in hardware gainstage for those that don't have an easy control on the hardware.
The only small downside to setting those is that you have to remember to ignore it in your mix like I suggested. Also its not a global setting but per project.

 
Thanks for the qualified technical input.