We are living unique times. Keeping experienced truck drivers on the job isn\u2019t easy in the current market. With the economy set to explode, and trucking companies busier than ever, truck drivers have more options than ever before. What will your trucking company do to position itself as the best possible option when applicants have so many to choose from?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The first thing you must do is make sure that your operators\nwant to keep driving for you. You need to make sure you create an open and\nhonest line of communication between your truck drivers and fleet managers,\nsafety managers, and other interested parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Successful trucking companies have an open-door policy that\nencourages truck drivers to visit the fleet or safety director when they come\nback from a trip on the road. Allowing your truck drivers to give you feedback\nabout what happened in the prior week generates trust and keeps your truckers\nengaged while on the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Importance of Direct Access<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do your truck drivers have what we would call \u201cdirect\naccess\u201d to your office? When they have a question, comment, or concern, you\nneed to make sure your truck drivers feel comfortable coming to you and giving\nopen feedback. If you have not fostered a culture of open communication between\nyour front-line fleet drivers and management, you are missing out on critical\nopportunities to keep your people motivated, engaged, and on the job for the\nlong haul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Smart fleet managers take a collaborative approach to understanding\nthe truck drivers experience. Even more, they make a concerted effort to act\nwhen their subordinates provide them with actionable feedback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In many cases, receiving direct feedback from truck drivers\nallows senior management to nip problems in the bud before they become serious\nproblems for the fleet. One effective method is to provide an anonymous\nsuggestion box that allows truck drivers to provide feedback without fear of\nreprisal. This way, feedback can be shared directly, and management can take\nquick action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An open-door policy is not common in the trucking sector. It\ntakes work on management\u2019s part to ensure their truck drivers feel comfortable\nbringing feedback when it should be brought. No company is perfect, so fleet\nmanagers need to be open to suggestions from the people who are getting the job\ndone day-in and day-out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Try Creating an Advisory Council<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another option for ensuring you have an open communication\npipeline between your truck drivers and managers is to establish a driver\u2019s advisory\ncouncil. This council can be comprised of both managers and the workers who\nwill bring feedback to the council. Trucking companies that utilize councils in\nthis fashion task them with making direct improvements to the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When truck drivers are on an advisory council with their\nmanagers, it brings everyone together and makes the drivers feel empowered to\nprovide information they might otherwise be afraid or unwilling to provide.\nWhen truck drivers can provide direct feedback about what is bothering, often\nfleet managers uncover issues that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many trucking companies<\/a> also mix these councils up with people from various departments and at various skill levels. When you throw a diverse mix of people together, from various departments, you may create synergies that would not happen otherwise. Imagine having truck drivers and back-office accountants and technicians together on the same council. The possibilities are endless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As one example, if a council like this discusses turnover or\nthe truck driver shortage, the drivers themselves can provide first-person\ninformation on what makes them want to stay with the company. While managers\nmay automatically assume it is pay, having everyone in the same room allows for\na level of openness that generates solutions. While many people think it is all\nabout pay, smart fleet managers look beyond money to solve all their problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking Beyond Pay as a Primary Motivator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While many inexperienced managers automatically assume pay is\nthe primary motivator for their people, in many cases this is not true. In\nfact, many fleet managers will tell you that truck drivers want an actively\nengaged management and executive team; leaders that inspire them to want to\ncome to work and reward them for a job well-done, where appropriate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask just about anyone involved in the trucking sector and\nhiring truck drivers and they will tell you that motivating truck drivers is\nabout more than just a paycheck. Progressive fleets work hard to develop a culture\nand sophisticated pay and incentive packages for their people. They develop\nprograms to reward their truck drivers for behaviors that improve the company\u2019s\nbottom line and create a safer and more efficient environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, it is about more than just how many cents per\nmile a truck driver makes. There will always be a direct correlation between\nhow truck drivers are treated and how happy they are in the cab. You can pay\nsomeone all the money in the world, but if they do not feel valued, they are\nnot going to be motivated to do a good job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also important to consider that pay can be broken down\ninto two factors. You have more<\/em> pay, and you have predictable<\/em>\npay. Everyone wants more money, but truck drivers in particular look for\npredictable money. Offering a minimum number of guaranteed miles each week take\na lot of pressure off truck drivers who need to feed their families during\ntough times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What Do Your Truck Drivers Want?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It isn\u2019t just the transportation sector where it is far too\neasy for management to become complacent and assume that what they want is all\nthat matters. But before you make big changes to how you operate it is critical\nyou ask the people it will affect whether you are making the right move. The\nanswers you get may surprise you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Innovative fleet managers use technology to improve fleet operations<\/a> and find out what\u2019s on their drivers\u2019 minds. Tools like SurveyMonkey or other web-based portals or software to let their truck drivers provide anonymous feedback. Look online to find recruiting tools, including your own website and social media channels to put a positive light on your company and bring the right people in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 21st<\/sup> Century managers instead look at the big\npicture. Effective leaders take a holistic look at the \u201ctotal work\nenvironment.\u201d When you compartmentalize truck driver needs, it becomes harder\nto see the big picture and address your truck drivers needs in an expeditious\nfashion. Of course, the impetus for this must always come from the top. If\nleadership is ineffective, nothing will change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, it is important to have more than just a vague open-door policy. You must make sure that actions back up your words. The days when motor carriers could bring recruits into an orientation, show up at a cursory meeting, then give them a truck and hope for the best are long past. Nowadays, trucking companies<\/a> with that attitude are not going to be able to compete for the best people in a competitive market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be Honest with Your Recruits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important thing you can do as a fleet or recruiting\nmanager is to not sugarcoat the position you are bringing them in for. When you\nbring your new truck drivers in for their first orientation, it must be about\nmore than just your basic policies and procedures. The orientation provides you\nwith an opportunity to shows your new hires that they will be treated with\nrespect. It gives you the chance to get to know them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, you are going to be dealing with these people on a face-to-face basis pretty regularly. For your fleet to be successful, you must develop a relationship with your people and be honest with them about what the truck driving job<\/a> entails and what they can expect. Consider having a paid lunch with new truck drivers and get to know them on a more personal level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, don\u2019t let your first 30 days with a new recruit be\nimmersive, and then let them dangle in the wind. Getting to know your people\nand effectively motivating them is a long-term effort that requires attention\n30, 60, and 90 days out. By showing you are invested in the long term, your new\nrecruits will respect you more and be motivated to do a good job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the tools and methodologies available to fleet managers\nin the modern age, there really is no excuse for an inability to recruit and\nretain the right people. Getting them in the door is the easy part, keeping\nthem there requires work. Are you putting in the effort for your truck drivers?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"