Fleets are always trying to find new ways to meet the high pressures and demands constantly put on them by a shifting marketplace. With so much going on, from regulations to cash flow to so much more, the last thing an enterprising trucking company needs is an uninspired workforce. The fact is this: The success of your organization rests on you having the best truck drivers in your business segment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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But what\u2019s a fleet manager to do? You aren\u2019t the only\ncompany trying to solve the puzzle of recruiting and retention in the digital\nage. It is important that fleets pay close attention to how they recruit a\nyounger generation of truck drivers. How can you engage a demographic that\nseems to have so many shifting priorities? Fortunately, we are here to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you know that e-commerce growth rates in the United\nStates have been advancing at double digit rates for more than a decade? That\u2019s\nright. New buying habits influence consumers and businesses alike in unexpected\nways. And with all these internet goods being moved by commercial trucks, the\ntimes are heady for the transportation industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With an unemployment rate currently hovering at a sustained\n4%, it is expected that there will be a need for over one million new truck\ndrivers over the next ten years. And with nearly half of all current truck\ndrivers facing retirement within those same ten years, recruiting new, young\nand eager drivers is critical to not just individual trucking businesses, but\nto the entire industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trucking companies will need to seek out drivers in places\nthey may not have considered before. By adding skilled young people who want to\nbe at the forefront of a growing industry, fleets hedge their bets. You will\nhave more flexibility focusing on getting the right people into your cabs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing the Issue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In case you weren\u2019t aware, there are steps being taken to\naddress these concerns. Congress now is currently reviewing a bill called the\nDRIVESafe act, which would allow CDL holders under the age of 21 to operate\ncommercial motor vehicles across state lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The FMCSA has also gotten in on the game, conducting a\nthree-year pilot program for truck drivers 18 \u2013 20 years old. While it is\nas-yet unknown whether the program is producing satisfactory results, the fact\nthat the agency is doing in the first place points to an understanding that\nthis is an issue that needs to be properly investigated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Trucking companies themselves have also been scrambling to\naddress the issue. Fleets have been quickly implementing efforts to bring in\nmore people as well. Recruiting women truck drivers is just one way they have\nbeen doing it. Younger drivers and women make up an untapped resource that, if\ndone right, can reap great rewards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is how to do it. Everyone wants to know what the\nrecipe is for appealing to the most important generation: The Millennials. Born\nbetween 1980 and 2000, Millennials now makes up more than a third of the total\nU.S. workforce. We have already mentioned the employment and growth\nopportunities in the labor market. How will trucking companies compete for\nthose individuals in crowded marketplace?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Distinguishes a Generation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Who are these Millennials and what \u2013 pun intended – drives\nthem? There are specific traits that makes this generation particularly unique.\nFirst, Millennials are very tech savvy. When it comes to new technologies, they\ncan learn them faster than prior generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take video technology or ELD usage as a couple examples. A\nMillennial truck driver might have less of a problem adapting to such technologies.\nAnd as ELDs become ever-more complex, it takes an even greater understanding of\nsoftware and data transmission. These are not foreign concepts to the\nMillennial generation. This generation is also highly connected to social media\nand the digital world. They would make great brand ambassadors for any company.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n But that doesn\u2019t mean every Millennial trait is a good one.\nWhile they are excellent multi-taskers, they can be easily distractible. They\nalso have no problem not staying with a trucking\ncompany<\/a> long if they do not think it is a right fit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But more than anything, Millennials expect their employers\nto invest in their training and growth. They want open lines of communication\nand want to feel like their work matters. Can they expect promotions and a\nstable career path in a company that cares? These are the kinds of questions\nyou can expect a potential Millennial truck driver to ask. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What Are Their Needs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, now the question is what you need to do in order to appeal to this generation. There will certainly need to be some rewiring in how a fleet operates. Trucking companies will need to reflect the needs of Millennial culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n [wp_ad_camp_2] <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Millennials want a good work-life balance. This is\nespecially important in the trucking industry. What if they must spend long\nperiods away from home? Will they accept spending lots of hours on the road if\nthat is the job you are offering? These are proper questions that they\nthemselves will ponder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They also find the concepts of collaboration and\ntransparency particularly important. They do not like working in a vacuum. They\nwant to contribute to a larger good. Fleets that operate in sustainable ways\nwould do well to advertise that on their promotional material if they want to\nappeal to a Millennial candidate. Trucking companies must also be very clear\nabout their goals and intentions. Millennials want to see the bigger picture\nthat drives their actions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The last thing anyone wants is to be caught in a dead-end\njob, including Millennials. Companies need to ensure they provide a clear path\nfor career and income advancement. Before a Millennial trucking candidate even\nconsiders working for a fleet, they are going to want to know what is in it for\ntheir future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Marketing to a Millennial <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reputation matters in the trucking industry. Not having a\ngood reputation could be the make-or-break for a potential deal. But more than\nthat, it could also tell a potential recruit that you might not be the best\ncompany to work for. Younger generations know how to find Google reviews. They\nknow what Glassdoor is. Do you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you managing your company\u2019s social media feed? This is\none of the first places a Millennial recruit will go to get the pulse on your organization.\nOver 60% of Millennials will go to a social media site to get information on a\ncompany. Being active on social media increases your ability to attract a\npotential truck driver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you clearly outlined what your company\u2019s mission is and\nwhat drives the values underlying your company? These are good things to\naddress whether or not<\/em> you want to hire more Millennial truck drivers.\nCan you give a perspective employee a good reason to go with you over one of\nyour competitors? <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have great perks and employment opportunities, but\nif you are not putting it out there, how is a recruit to know? You must be\nputting your perks out there on your promotional material and using it as a\ntool for job events. If you are involved in social causes or donate to\norganizations, Millennials want to know about it as they make an employment\ndecision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pay Still Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though you need to rely on things like health benefits,\ncareer advancement, and social causes \u2013 pay still matters to the Millennial\ngeneration. Someone once said money talks, and it certainly talks to\nMillennials as much as anyone else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n