Finding great drivers is an incredible challenge; however, retaining them may be even more challenging. Between a pandemic, a driver shortage, and increasing inflation, carriers face a lot when it comes to keeping great drivers in the seats of their trucks. Beyond raising wages, how else can carriers retain quality drivers? Implementing strategies like mentoring programs and employee appreciation initiatives will help boost employee engagement. Follow these five steps below to help keep your top drivers engaged and improve your overall driver retention rate.
1. Offer a road map to success.
The younger generation of drivers wants to envision how their career will play out not only the immediate future at your company, but also the future of their career in the trucking industry. It’s important to show them a clear road map of what this could look like upfront. If they’re only 18 years old, show them how they could start in the warehouse, work for four years, and then get their CDL paid for at age 21. Then show them beyond that and the different paths they could choose, from a long-haul driver to a dispatcher, and eventually even a manager. Having a concrete path will show them that they could have a long, successful career if they just take that first step.
2. Keep your promises.
These days, drivers are quite literally in the driver’s seat. If you sold a job as having work/life balance, you better be making an effort to give that driver plenty of home time. They also want you to keep it real. If they’re going to be driving late at night, on challenging routes, running into inclement weather — tell them upfront, but also make an effort to reevaluate those routes or try to get them some more home time to make up for it. Keeping your promises builds trust and shows drivers that their employer cares about their wellbeing.
3. Highlight success stories.
Drivers who feel seen and appreciated are more likely to stick around. A great way to do this is to feature them through a driver of the month program. Each month, you could highlight a driver and their achievements on social media, allowing their peers within your fleet to comment and engage with one another. Alternatively, you could send it out in a monthly email newsletter. To build even more comradery among your fleet, you could take the time to celebrate safety milestones each month. That way, you can feature multiple drivers instead of spotlighting just one.
4. Create a mentorship program.
Mentoring programs are a great way to help new truckers learn the rules of the road and acclimate to the job. We’d suggest linking up a newer employee with an experienced driver so they have someone to check in with other than the “boss” in their first 30, 60, or 90 days. Mentors can invite their new drivers to shadow them on a route one day to ask questions and see first-hand how an experienced driver handles certain situations. They could also embrace technology by keeping an open line of communication with one another through texting or phone calls. That way, if the new driver is on the road and needs someone to confide in, they can easily connect with a mentor driver to ask questions.
5. Listen to your employees.
Trust is established when employees feel their employer is listening to them. However, many times people would rather anonymously give feedback. We’d suggest sending out anonymous surveys, either once or twice a year, to collect and review driver feedback. These surveys will help you understand where your drivers stand with the company and their true feelings about things they like or dislike. After collecting feedback, management can take some time to reflect and strategize actionable ways to improve these concerns. Then, host a town hall to communicate the changes you plan on implementing in a company-wide setting.
When it comes to driver retention, remember the basics. Drivers are looking for the same things anyone else is looking for in their career: a clear path to success, clear expectations, work/life balance, and to feel heard. If you’re looking to lower your driver turnover rate, KJ Media has 15+ years of driver recruiting experience. Reach out to start building your plan today.
