How to Retain Truck Drivers in 2019

Annual turnover of over the road truckload drivers is currently in the range of 95 percent. The cost of replacing a driver is approximately $8000. This high turnover ratio came during a year in which truck drivers in many fleets received multiple and significant bonuses and pay increases. This begs the question of how well many trucking companies truly understand the needs and requirements of truck drivers.

I recently had the privilege of hearing a presentation from Max Farrell and Andrew Kirpilani, Co-Founders of WorkHound (www.workhound.com). Workhound is a real-time feedback platform for frontline workers. Trucking companies that subscribe to the service request their drivers to submit feedback, praise, problems, and ideas through their smartphones. Workhound distills the data daily into actionable, ready-to-use insights that help manage and retain drivers. Drivers feel empowered, knowing that their feedback is acknowledged; the subscriber that listens to and acts on the feedback receives the bottom-line benefit of a happier, motivated team.

What makes Workhound’s approach different from other standard marketing research tools? The answer is that drivers that provide their feedback to Workhound are not limited to responding to a highly structured questionnaire that has built-in biases and specific agendas. Rather, drivers are prompted weekly to share their experiences, any experiences and observations, good or bad. They are free to write about any aspect of their jobs. The link to share their feedback is open 24/7 and the driver can use his or her smartphone to enter their insights. Eighty-seven percent of the drivers in the data base use a smartphone. Workhound continuously monitors the feedback and sorts them into twelve themes.

Companies that receive this feedback are encouraged to respond individually or collectively to the problems that are raised. Workhound’s trucking company customers have 60+ trucks in their fleets. They have a mix of tanker, reefer, dry van, flatbed, and expedited trailers. The data base consists of 77% Company Drivers and 23% Owner Operators.

The research results fall into five categories. These five groups capture 85% of the feedback and are listed in order or importance.

Equipment

Drivers appreciate up to date and well-maintained equipment. They also appreciate quality facilities like yards and truck washes. These drivers take pride in their work and want their equipment to reflect it.

Conversely, nothing frustrates a quality driver faster than those who disrespect the equipment. Drivers frown on companies that fail to sweep trailers, to fix a potholed yard, or an inability to run through a wash out on the road. Quality drivers see the truck as a reflection on themselves AND the company.

Since the driver’s truck is their place of work, they wish to be consulted on the equipment selected. They react negatively to companies that purchase fleet equipment that does not properly address driver comfort, safety (i.e. automatic transmissions), privacy (i.e. inward facing cameras) and/or their well-being. The truck is a drivers’ home and tool to do their job. Comforts, conveniences, and top-quality features added to trucks will pay for themselves quickly in improved driver retention.

“While the company may own the truck, it is the driver's tool AND home. Treat that with the respect you would ask someone to treat your home.”

Logistics

In this era of ELDs, drivers like to work for fleets that make good use of their time. Their time is money and they are frustrated by carriers and shippers that reduce their productivity. Communication is key. “A rolling driver is a happy driver. A waiting driver is a frustrated driver.”

There are unavoidable delays caused by traffic and weather and there are avoidable delays caused by poor planning and communication. Chronic delays at “problem customers can have a corrosive effect on driver morale and should be treated like the critical business issue it really is . . . At times you may have the choice of firing a customer or losing many drivers . . . Consider this choice carefully.”

People

Praise for good work or displaying empathy and compassion with drivers during challenging moments (a death in the family) go a long way in developing a driver’s loyalty to a company. On the flip side, drivers remain frustrated by rude dispatchers, by being placed on hold, or by staff not calling drivers back.

Since driving can be a lonely life, social interaction is important. They desire camaraderie with their fellow drivers and communication, either in-person or through social media.

Pay

Pay raises received during 2018 were well received. Drivers are more upset with companies that administratively can’t get their act together. This includes incorrect or confusing pay stub issues. These can be quickly corrected with good office staff, but goodwill can be lost through ongoing administrative problems.

Workhound argues that one issue to watch for is a disconnect between the expectations created by recruiters and the actual compensation documented in their drivers’ payment envelopes. Income volatility or $400 paychecks are a good way to erode trust. In this era of almost full employment and shortages in certain industry sectors, drivers have choices outside of the trucking industry.

Workhound encourages trucking companies to ask themselves these questions. Is our pay

• Confusing?

• Accurate?

• Timely?

• Competitive?

Companies that pay their drivers less that $1000 per week and have trouble paying their drivers in an accurate and timely manner run the risk of workforce erosion.

Communication

Drivers require accurate information to do their jobs effectively. They appreciate dispatchers who get it right. Missing and incorrect data in communication accounted for a large amount of negative comments. “Getting it wrong can be a death sentence.”

Summary

Workhound has come up with a very useful methodology to capture driver feedback. They emphasize that “getting feedback from your workforce has many benefits. Closing the feedback loop is crucial to creating a virtuous cycle so that information keeps flowing both ways.”

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