The last thing any carrier wants is to have a high turnover rate. That’s when employees are quickly coming and going—usually due to employee dissatisfaction.
Of course, not all drivers are up to snuff, and finding good drivers is a difficult task. However, once you find them, you’ll want to keep them.
That’s what’s called driver retention. To retain your commercial truck drivers, you’ll want to keep them safe, happy, and fulfilled at your company.
Now you might be wondering—how can I motivate and retain my drivers? To find out, all you need to do is read our 3 simple and effective tips for keeping your truck drivers.
1. Appropriate Compensation and Rewards
Perhaps one of the most obvious things is to provide appropriate compensation. As the driver shortage increases and freight capacity tightens, more companies are offering higher salaries.
That means that you’ll need to stay competitive and offer the right pay to keep your drivers. However, you can also reward your drivers in different ways.
Instead of giving more money to your best drivers, you can motivate and incentivize with different metrics and milestones. For example, you could give rewards for a number of safe miles driven, positive customer reviews, or collision-free days.
You could also help motivate other drivers by improving unsafe habits such as:
- Reducing following distance
- Cutting down on distracted driving
- Idling Less
Employees who are rewarded feel appreciated and are much more likely to stick around.
2. Openly Communicate
In any relationship, communication is key. However, when on the road, communication is a lot more complicated than it is around the office.
Make sure that drivers have a way to communicate with the company and are encouraged to share their ideas and give honest feedback. When drivers are engaged with problem-solving, it helps them feel like they’re a part of the company.
You’ll show your drivers that you value their opinion if you implement changes based on their feedback.
Furthermore, you can motivate your drivers simply by speaking with them. If you talk with drivers openly and care about them as individuals, they’re more likely to stay with your carrier.
3. Make Driver Health and Safety a Priority
As everyone in the trucking business knows, hauling is physically and mentally demanding. That’s why it’s important that your company dedicates resources to ensure the safety and wellness of your drivers.
Invest in the safety of your drivers by enrolling them in compliance or coaching programs. Make sure that safety is part of your company culture so that they feel good about their working environment.
You can also think about implementing a mental health and wellness program. This can include exercise recommendations, stretching programs, or online therapy sessions.
Keep Your Truckers Truckin’
Remember that driver turnover actually costs your company. Estimates think that it costs a company on average $8,000 per driver.
In order to keep your fleet running smoothly, then you’ll need to retain and motivate your drivers. The best way to do that is to invest in them and make them feel like they’re a part of the team.
