According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), in 2016 truck driver turnover rates were the highest compared to most other occupations. There are many complications the transportation industry has to overcome when it comes to truck driver retention. The aging workforce and the long hours away from home are just two of the major obstacles companies are faced with when hiring and retaining truck drivers.
The ATRI suggests incentivizing drivers for performance in the areas of safety, fuel economy and trip productivity in order to help with driver retention. They also propose to focus on improving drivers’ quality of life by identifying the best practices that improve work/life balance, healthy lifestyles and family relationships.
Other than the obvious, increasing salaries, here are some other strategies to improve driver retention in the trucking industry:
- Hire someone to concentrate on driver retention
- Put emphasis on creative recruitment strategies
- Offer fuel cards for discounted fuel to owner operators
- Focus on driver health and wellness
- Implement a referral program for the drivers
- If possible, offer 401K, health and other benefits to the drivers
- Keep an open line of communication
- Employee satisfaction surveys
Little steps can always be made to improve truck driver retention. Companies can create a great team of truck drivers by listening to your drivers and always keeping an open line of communication.
http://atri-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ATRI-2016-Top-Industry-Issues-10-2016.pdf
https://www.fleetowner.com/driver-management-resource-center/reaching-driver-retention-solutions
