The overriding comment from truck owners at the recent Gearjammer Magazine Truck Show in New Hampshire was, “We can’t even find lousy drivers, let alone excellent ones.”
This attitude, expressed by owners of some of the country’s most excellent trucks, echoes DAT’s discussion of the structural shift over the last month. Local and regional fleets rarely have trouble recruiting drivers who want to drive friendly vehicles and come home every night in standard times. This is no longer the case.
The current driver deficit is due to an aging workforce, and an exodus of experienced truckers exacerbated during the pandemic. The driver shortage used to be primarily a problem for long-haul freight carriers. However, every segment of the trucking industry is currently struggling to find qualified candidates to satisfy rising demand.
There was no need to focus on retaining drivers for many years because the business was constantly flooded with fresh drivers. However, as drivers have become more challenging to come by, the focus has switched to maintaining current drivers and finding innovative ways to keep them motivated.
According to Ray Haight, TPP Retention Coach at the Truckload Carriers Association, “as soon as you see fleets move their effort from recruitment to retention, it implies it’s growing difficult to find drivers” (TCA).
Recruitment of new drivers
Haight is a firm believer in hiring openness, which establishes reasonable employment expectations for new drivers.
“Discussing the family cash flow plan with a new driver upfront guarantees that the truck driving job meets the family’s expectations,” adds Haight. “If you don’t meet fundamental human requirements like food, safety, and housing, you’ll have a lot of turnover among your drivers.”
Haight gave five suggestions for developing and maintaining a driver-centric culture in a firm during a recent TCA webinar:
“Recruiting and retaining truck drivers is essentially an exercise in altering business culture. Fleet owners and managers must be leaders rather than bosses to instill a commitment culture in their organizations. As leaders, they must teach their drivers to trust their instincts, encourage them to share their knowledge, and provide them with the resources they require to succeed.”
Haight’s approach to driver retention is informed by his significant expertise in operating truckload fleets and Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. Needs must be met in the following order:
- Physiological requirements (food, clothing, shelter, etc.)
- Needs for security (job security)
- Social requirements
- Self-esteem necessitates
- Needs for self-actualization
This translates to competitive remuneration, a safety culture, communication and support, recognition, and self-actualization in the trucking industry.
“Building value is the answer to driver retention, and that will build a strong sense of community, but you have to get the money and safety right,” Haight says. “Those are substantial and the most important for recruiting. However, if you don’t have the other three characteristics, you’ll have a lot of turnovers, which will be difficult to overcome.”
