There's a lot that goes into hiring great truck drivers. It takes time and resources to find safe, qualified, and trustworthy people who are not only drivers but true business partners. The last thing you want is to make that investment, only to have your new hire leave after a few months. And, if you have tenured drivers, you want to be sure that you keep them on board for as long as possible.
Turnover is over 90 percent for large motor carriers ($30 million or more in annual revenue) and in the low 70s for smaller carriers. Many companies are increasing compensation and adding benefits for drivers to improve retention. Of course, that pushes shipping costs up.
However, retaining your drivers isn't a matter of luck. In most cases, drivers choose to stay or move on due to how connected they feel to your company.
Though you can't control everything related to drivers’ overall satisfaction, you can significantly impact the most critical elements of the working environment. Let’s look at five ways to increase retention to keep your business partners on your fleet for the long haul.
1. Retention Begins Before You Make An Offer
Many owner-operators do not think about retention during the hiring process, but this is an important step. You can set your company apart and increase driver retention by prioritizing transparency and communication from your first interaction with an applicant.
Be honest when describing your company's strengths and weaknesses. Talk about what you do well and what you are working on improving. Give a clear picture of job responsibilities and discuss the challenges your drivers face daily.
Before making an offer, go over details like expected miles per week, home time, training, compensation, and benefits. When possible, allow candidates to connect with one or more of your current drivers to ensure they know exactly what they are getting into when signing on with you.
Avoid the temptation to oversell your company. It will cost you in the long run. When working conditions turn out to be different than described, drivers feel deceived. The resulting lack of trust can tarnish your future relationships and your brand.
2. Onboarding and Training Set the Tone
No matter how much experience drivers have, a certain amount of anxiety comes with any new job. That anxiety rises exponentially for drivers who are new to the industry and those that face unique challenges in a workplace traditionally dominated by men (e.g., female truckers).
The onboarding and training process sets the tone for your relationship with your drivers. When you get it right, retention rises - and missteps can mean losing your newest team members in days. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Cultivate a Welcoming Environment
Ensure new drivers feel welcomed and make it a point to walk them through all of the essentials. They will quickly feel like part of the team and take on additional ownership if they don't have to ask for help with basic tasks. If there is paperwork to complete, don't stick them in a room alone for hours. Create an environment that is engaging and inclusive from the moment they start.
Prioritize Training and Onboarding
When skilled trainers are responsible for bringing new drivers up to speed, the training experience can increase engagement and get things off on the right foot.
However, a poor training experience - usually resulting from unprepared and/or disinterested trainers - can quickly prompt resignations.
Facilitate Connections
Partner new hires with tenured drivers who are good at the job and generally content with the company. Go over the training outcomes you are looking for and ensure that drivers selected to train know exactly what both sides can expect from the training relationship.
The truth is that some people don't get along. Their personalities don't mesh for whatever reason. If your new hire is uncomfortable with the driver responsible for training, make a change as soon as possible to prevent turnover.
3. You Can't Over-Communicate
Too many owner-operators try to downplay issues or avoid negative feedback from drivers. Worse still, some promise changes and then don’t deliver. Driver retention depends on loyalty and engagement. That comes from being seen and heard when things aren't right.
Always Source Feedback
Feedback, both positive and negative, is critical. Make it a point to check in with your drivers -- especially new hires, drivers who are just starting out in their careers, and those who might be up against special challenges like women in trucking. Keep the lines of communication open and listen carefully for signs of dissatisfaction.
Be Honest and Transparent about What Is and Isn't Possible
If there are issues that you can't fix, own and communicate it clearly. Don't make promises you can't keep. If there is a legitimate reason you can't meet a request, explain - and if you say you will look into something, be sure to follow up with an answer. Drivers may not raise concerns a second time. If you aren't responsive, they might accept another offer and move on.
Offer Various Ways to Consume Information
Finally, any time you have to change policies, procedures, and processes that impact your drivers, there is no such thing as over-communicating. Give plenty of warning before changes occur, leave time for feedback, offer different ways to consume the information (audio, visual, written, etc), and include reminders about upcoming changes in various communications formats.
4. Thinking Beyond Compensation and Benefits
Competitive compensation and benefits go a long way in attracting and retaining quality drivers. Generally speaking, if the pay is fair, working conditions are good, and drivers are engaged, they won't leave for a little more money.
Think Creatively on Recognition
Once you have come up with a pay structure and benefits package equivalent to your peers -- perhaps even a little above average if you can -- the next step is to think creatively. What can you do to make your company more attractive to prospective candidates while keeping the drivers you have?
Consider extra pay incentives and other forms of recognition that remind your team how much you value their hard work. Remember that the hiring process is expensive, so investing in small monetary rewards for your current drivers is likely to save you long-term money.
Expand Support to Drivers’ Families
Next, expand your retention strategy to include resources for the friends and family members that support your drivers’ careers.
Every time your drivers are on the road, they leave someone behind. Anything you can do to make things easier for the folks at home means happier drivers.
First of all, that means getting your team members home on time. That's non-negotiable. Families count on having their loved ones with them, whether or not it's a special event, and the disappointment of a delay can be crushing. Even if the driver self-dispatches, anything you can do to support them in their personal lives will go a long way.
Consider options for supporting your drivers and their families when emergencies come up. A few missed days can spell financial disaster when the load is what pays. Anything you can do to ease that pain ensures those few missed days don't turn into a permanent departure.
Create a family rider policy that makes it possible for drivers to take their loved ones along for the ride from time to time. Getting a glimpse of day-to-day life on the road can be helpful for spouses and children, and there is no substitute for that sort of quality time together.
Build a Driver Community
Help drivers' families get acquainted through dedicated social media groups and in-person events where possible. This allows drivers' loved ones to build a strong network that can provide the sort of support that only comes with shared experiences. Supporting drivers' families and helping them stay connected addresses one of the most common reasons truckers leave their companies: work/life balance. If you can alleviate that stressor, you can count on a boost in your retention rates.
5. Never Say Goodbye
There are some drivers that you aren't interested in retaining. When they leave, you breathe a sigh of relief. This section doesn't apply to those difficult few. However, make it your mantra to "never say goodbye" when a quality driver decides to move on.
Stay connected with former team members and check in to ask how they are and bring them up to speed on company news.
Chances are, next time you have an opening or they are looking, those drivers will offer referrals if you have stayed in touch. Better still, they might choose to return when the time is right.
Retaining Drivers: The Bottom Line
There are dozens of ways to strengthen relationships with drivers and increase retention rates. The most important thing to remember is that success in this area is no accident. Create a deliberate strategy that prioritizes communication, engagement, and exceptional working conditions, and then keep that strategy top of mind as you manage your day-to-day workload. Turnover comes with a hefty price, so the best thing you can do for your business is to retain your best partners who will help ensure mutual success.
Other relevant articles:
Business Partners for the Long Haul - Part 1: Hiring Great Truck Drivers