As a carrier, improving driver retention is one of the best routes you can take to save on costs and better the overall quality of your operation. As much as 85% of driver turnover is short-term turnover (drivers leaving within 180 days after they're hired). In terms of both time and money, the costs of training new drivers and ensuring they meet your standards as a business add up fast.
With this post, let's go over how to improve driver retention by investing in quality equipment, developing an incentive program, and encouraging driver feedback.
Invest in Quality Equipment
Considering all the long hours drivers spend on the road, improving the quality of the trucks and trailers they operate goes a long way towards increasing driver retention. Small inconveniences like poor air conditioning and wobbly trailers can add up to a work experience that turns drivers away from your operation. Purchasing newer trucks (say, those made within the past five years) is worth the cost if it guarantees your driver turnover rate decreases.
In addition to buying dependable vehicles—whether new or used, ask your drivers what equipment they prefer to operate. If, for example, a majority of your drivers would choose Kenworth trucks over Volvo's offerings, you'll likely be able to retain more drivers by purchasing the former.
Develop an Incentive Program
By offering an effective driver incentive program, you can motivate drivers to engage in healthy competition. Even a reward as small as a $10 or $20 gift card can encourage drivers to meet performance goals like making consistent on-time deliveries and driving safely. Additionally, defining driver objectives clearly means your workers will have an easier time understanding what they need to do to succeed within your company, reducing the amount of on-the-job uncertainty they face.
Before developing an incentive program, reach out to your drivers and ask them what sort of rewards would motivate them. The better you align incentives with your drivers' actual interests, the better results an incentive program will yield.
Encourage Driver Feedback (and Act on It)
There's no better way to improve driver retention than to simply ask your drivers how to do so. By creating a work environment that rewards communication, you can incentivize your drivers to offer their feedback, turning the task of managing turnover into a collaborative effort.
If you're unsure how to start soliciting comments from your drivers, consider using some of Forbes Couches Council's 16 strategies for gathering employee feedback. Some of the Council's recommendations include ensuring anonymity, so workers feel that they can offer criticism; establishing mutual trust, so workers and employers can keep conversations constructive; asking your employees/contract workers to describe their ideal working situation, so employers can develop clear goals; and practicing transparency, so workers can see the real impact of their comments.
Of course, none of these strategies have much value if you fail to act on the feedback you receive. So, you should use your drivers' comments to develop an actionable plan, carry it out, and evaluate the results. This way, you can make iterative changes to steadily improve driver retention.
Are you interested in an alternative to the standard trucking business model? If so, take a look at how Relaymile is reimagining trucking to provide drivers with a healthier, more consistent standard of work.
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