The rate at which drivers are leaving the workforce has been significant and has been a consistent topic and issue in the industry, especially in recent years. Driver turnover can have an impact in poor fleet performance including out of service violations during roadside inspections, hours of service and safety challenges, and failure to meet delivery time commitments, FleetOwner notes. So, how can we improve symptoms of driver turnover?
Being Consistent
The more consistent the driver pool, the better performance over time. FleetOwner notes, that from an insurance perspective, having a consistent driver pool is a direct indicator on fleet performance and can determine how underwriters approach carriers. When insurance groups visit their policyholders, many see idle power units – this is because they aren’t able to put qualified drivers behind the wheel, and in turn it has a direct impact on revenue. It’s not an easy fix as it takes different strategies to ensure fleet operators are operating at peak efficiency.
Recruiting to Retain
Having relationships with your drivers and having your drivers feel comfortable with leadership is a big part in retaining drivers. Dirk Kupar, CEO of TruckRight, details his own thoughts on the matter and why relationships are important. “I’ve talked to owners who survey their drivers to find which customers they don’t want to go to as a retention measure, [while] others keep a profile on the driver and refer to it while they’re talking to them, so that they know where the driver is coming from on a personal level.”
When you make your employees feel valued and appreciated, it truly can go a long way especially when it relates to wanting to retain your drivers. There are many ways to retain your employers. It can be something as simple as a different configuration of their sleeper berth, or maybe it’s adapting a policy matter or how leadership may communicate something.
Benefits and Outcome-Based Incentives
Tom MacCallum, VP of IAT Insurance Group, notes how outcome-based incentives and rewards can be used as retention tactics. He continues to mention one example where a carrier bought new tires for its owner-operators, if they perform and adhere to certain levels of safety and operations, he tells FleetOwner. He goes on to say how that example is “one of the more effective retention tools and has made a major impact with owner operators.”
Another incentive drivers may find to be valuable are “experience rewards” that are more tailored to the drivers. So instead of tangible items, carriers could reward their drivers with a night out, or other experiences that would be more meaningful to the driver. MacCallum tells FleetOwner that the key to this, is finding rewards the drivers care about and set a schedule to offer the rewards.
Moving Forward
We will continue to provide updates on the latest in the trucking industry and more, throughout the year and beyond. If you have any questions or comments regarding this topic, please contact our team today!
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