Are you paying enough attention to your retention efforts? Many trucking companies \u2013 and companies in general \u2013 assume that if they are profitable, employee happiness will come naturally, and their people won\u2019t want to leave. Yet, the truth is you need to stay on top of your retention efforts if you want to ensure they are satisfied enough on the job to not shop around for other employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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That\u2019s why implementing best practices in-house to keep your\ntruck drivers feeling appreciate is the way to go. But with so many trucking\ncompanies out there, what are the techniques successful operators are using to\nkeep attrition low?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be Discretionary About Your Shipping Partners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Too many trucking companies operate under the assumption\nthat any business is good business. But if you are doing business with shippers\nthat treat your truck drivers poorly, this could impact your own people\u2019s\nsatisfaction on the job. And while some may think they cannot control a\nshipper\u2019s behavior \u2013 which is true \u2013 you can control who you do business with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We now live in a time where communication is instant, and\ntrucking companies need to be able to rely on their shipping partners to help\nthem provide a good work environment for the truck drivers they see day-in and\nday-out. Don\u2019t hesitate to open up a dialogue with your shipping partners in an\neffort to provide better services for your people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simple amenities offered by shippers can go a long way in\nimproving your drivers\u2019 on-the-job experience. Whether it be offering a cold\ncup of water or providing an all-gender restroom for them to use, these are\nquick, easy, and cost-effective ways for your shipping partners to make life\neasier for the drivers who serve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just consider the job your drivers are doing. They make up\nto 10 hours to get to their destination and deliver their load. Can you imagine\nif they get there, and they are unable to go in and use the restroom? If one of\nyour shippers aren\u2019t providing basic services like these, it may be time to cut\nthem lose. Basic personal services should be an essential part of the\ninteraction between shipper and driver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let Employees Have a Say<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This may seem far-fetched to some but giving your employees a greater say in how money is spent also goes a long way to making them feel valued and keeping them on the job. For example, most trucking companies<\/a> have a specific budget for capital investments. But do they let their truck drivers have a say in how those investments are spent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Management and the fleet procurement side of the business\nmay not always know what truck drivers want. When front-line operators are\nempowered to help the company make financial decisions, they not only feel\nheard, but often this kind of collaboration results in real improvement for\nboth your truck drivers and the company as a whole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it be improving the lighting at drop spots and areas\naround the fuel bay to creating a truck cleaning station with top-of-the-line\nequipment, these are tangible improvements. And your truck drivers will\nappreciate them, whether they vocalize that appreciation or not. In some cases,\nthese suggestions may even result in cost savings across the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best way to manage a program like this is to set up a\ncouncil made up of a diverse array of individuals within the company. You\nshould have members on the council that represent an array of age groups,\ngenders, and job types. To make life easier during COVID times, you can even\nset up a virtual forum, over Zoom, Slack or another teleconferencing solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Invest in a Comprehensive Mentorship Program<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to singing up with a new fleet, even the most experienced truck drivers may experience a sense of vertigo, with people coming at them from all sides. Even more, they may be faced with adapting to new technologies and policies. Trucking companies who don\u2019t pay close enough attention to the transition process will find themselves failing in their retention efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why many successful fleets operate a mentorship\nprogram to help new recruits adjust to the job. When setting up your program,\ncreate a list of possible mentors who can pair up with new recruits to provide\nsupport as they transition into the job. Even better, you may want to consider\ncombining your training program with your mentorship program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter how long your initial training program is, try combining your training curriculum with your mentorship sessions. Perhaps you could have your truck drivers and mentors participate in a weekly call to cover topics? Consider the different ways you could combine programs to greater effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also make sure you select the right people for the program.\nYour mentors should be made up of individuals who are known to be top\nperformers on the job. They should be there to help new truck drivers, answer\nquestions they have, and provide a shoulder to lean on should they need it.\nUsing a buddy system in this fashion goes a long way to providing comfort and\nmotivation to new recruits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fleet managers know that when they hire a new truck driver,\nthey want them to at least know how to drive. Having prior big rig operating\nexperience is a necessity for most trucking companies but knowing the ins and\nouts of a new company is not a necessity at the outset. Mentors are there to\nquickly help newbies comfortably transition into the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Evaluate the Reasons for Attrition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is this, top-performing truck drivers are an\ninvaluable asset to any motor carrier. You need to make sure your retention\nstrategies are focused on these members of your team. Truck driver retention\nand the employment shortage of long been intractable concerns for fleets across\nthe country. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic upon us, the problem has only\ngotten worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, with the United States emerging from the throes of the\npandemic, fleets are going to be feeling the shortage of available operators\neven more. High attrition is likely on the horizon for trucking companies that\ndo not take retention seriously. The question fleet managers need to ask\nthemselves is why do truck drivers quit? How can our fleet go from good\nto great<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a variety of reasons to explain why truck drivers\nleave one company for another. One big factor is retirements. Another one is\nthe reputation a job on trucking has among younger people. As an older cohort\nof truck drivers retires, many are skeptical that current generations will\nprovide enough bodies to fill the cabs that are available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, pending retirements are only one part of the equation.\nTruck drivers quit for other reasons too, from poor pay to the amount of time\naway from home, to scheduling problems, poor quality equipment, or a lack of a\ncohesive retention program. Before you can address the problems contributing to\nyour attrition, you first must get to the bottom of why they leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tried-and-True Strategies that Stick<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While it is important to have novel strategies in place,\nthere are still time-tested methods to ensuring your truck drivers remain happy\nand stay with your company. First, have a look at your compensation levels. As\nfreight capacity tightens, some companies are offering pay hikes. Pay may seem\nlike the obvious low-hanging fruit because it is. If you aren\u2019t paying\ncompetitive rates, expect your top performers to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must also make sure you are rewarding top performers in\nthe organization. Of course, you cannot overlook unsafe driving practices, but\nyou also cannot ignore top performing truck drivers. Make sure you identify\nthose within your fleet who are doing an outstanding job and provide them with\nsome public recognition. Whether it be through bonuses or prizes, a little\nincentive goes a long way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, pay extra attention to the different ways the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your truck drivers. Remember that operating a big rig, especially on long hauls, is a physically and mentally demanding enterprise. And operating during a global pandemic only increases the levels of stress your truck drivers feel. To mitigate this, encourage your people to take some time for mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Successful fleets come up with programs that encourage their truck drivers to spend time outdoors, meditate, eat better, and more. Also make sure you are adhering religiously to COVID-19 safety protocols<\/a>. When your truck drivers see that you go out of your way to ensure their safety, they will be more likely to stay with you. In the end, it is important that fleet managers pay just as much attention to retention as they do to recruiting. Only this way will they set themselves up for long term success. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"