In the world of trucking, drivers will often quit within three - six months after their start date. With turnover so high, it's a good idea for carriers to have a system in place for ensuring employee exits are smooth and painless.
With this post, we'll go over the offboarding process in terms of what it is and why it needs to be done right.
What Is Offboarding?
Put simply, offboarding is the other side of onboarding. If hiring is the head of the coin, then seeing an employee out is its tail.
In terms of what you actually do, here's what offboarding looks like:
Formal communications—emails and exit interviews
Knowledge transfer—where an exiting driver helps train an incoming one
Asset recovery—both physical (equipment, uniforms, etc.) and digital (passwords and other sensitive info)
A small-to-medium-sized pile of documentation—may include a resignation letter or acknowledgment of termination, non-disclosure agreement, continuing employee benefits, final paycheck, and an experience letter/letter of recommendation
Remember, it doesn't matter if a driver resigns, retires, or is terminated. It's always important to make every effort to guide them through offboarding.
Why Offboard?
As with onboarding new drivers, the more time and attention you direct towards the offboarding process, the less you have to worry about unexpected complications, delays, and miscommunications. Looking at the extreme cases, offboarding can protect you in the following ways:
Keep sensitive data out of the hands of disgruntled ex-employees
Prevent competitors from poaching your customers
Save you some serious legal fees
If possible, allow two weeks for the offboarding process, so you have plenty of time to set aside for activities like knowledge transfers and asset recovery that can sometimes come with surprising challenges.
The Key Is Communication
When communicating with an exiting driver, be transparent. Offboarding will always go more smoothly when the employer and employee are on the same page. Outline the offboarding process as early as possible by sending your employee an email that looks something like this:
It's important to keep in contact with employees throughout the offboarding process. Remain available for questions, and be prepared to address any concerns your exiting drivers may have. It may help to remember that procedures like exit interviews can be immensely valuable, so time spent communicating with exiting drivers is time spent well.
Are you interested in an alternative to the conventional 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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