A company is only as good as its people. From entrepreneurs to big-time business people and industrialists, everybody agrees with this. Employees make a company what it is. It's their hard work and grit that ultimately delivers the best desired results for the top tiers. And it’s the same with the trucking industry as well.
The success of any trucking company rests on the shoulders and wheels of its employees. Especially the ones of the drivers. There’s no trucking industry without a truck driver.
The trucking industry is notorious for its challenges in finding truckers at the start of the company. But lately, it's been even more notorious for its failure in retaining its drivers across companies.
With Covid-19 tightening up the supply chain like it’s nobody’s business, there is a huge shortage of supply of all things essential across the country. The need for faster and more supplies has put the trucking industry in more demand than ever before. But as we said earlier, there’s no trucking industry without truckers. There’s no supply without our drivers hauling miles together in all conditions for hours at once.
Therefore, here are five proven and effective ways to help you increase driver retention at your company.
Way number #1 - Safety First!
Every person, regardless of the job they do, deserves to receive as much safety as affordable. Be it a mason, a teacher, or even a secret service agent, all of us deserve to be as safe as possible while earning our living.
The same holds true for the trucking industry. Our drivers deserve to be safe on the road while they haul miles to keep the economy running. So, get your trucks regularly inspected. Maintain them well and try to keep them in excellent condition. Truckers really appreciate that. Additionally, make sure that the terminal locations the truckers stop at are clean, safe, and hygienic.
Way number #2 - Pay Them Well
Our truckers spend most of their time on roads, away from their families, all alone, and often facing terrible weather conditions. Now, although they opted for the job themselves, it doesn’t mean it isn’t a hard job to do. Therefore, compensate them for their hard work and compensate them well.
Understand the market for quality drivers and build your compensation packages accordingly. Be sure to remain competitive continually to not only retain your own drivers but also attract more of them. And remember, you could add a lot more than just money to your compensation packages. Throw in some streaming services, restaurant coupons, or holiday packages in there. But make sure that these additional services are useful and meaningful to your drivers. Otherwise, there’s no point in all these.
Way number #3 - Establish Good Communication With Your Drivers
Good communication and understanding are the keys to solving all the problems in the world. The same is true with the trucking industry. So try to establish a good communication relationship with all your drivers. Talk to them. Don’t treat them like they are expendable.
Besides, you have a lot to gain from this too. The insight that drivers will bring to the table will help you immensely in optimizing your shipments. They can provide powerful feedback and on-the-road perspectives that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Way number #4 - Recognize High Performance
A job is often one of the most important aspects of a person’s life. So, when they do their job well, it is important to recognize that and appreciate it. This motivates the person to keep going and maybe even do more.
And even if not for this, appreciation is always worth it. It shows that the effort put in by that person is not lost and that their work is important.
You could do this by providing incentives and having formal recognition events. Build a positive culture at your company with a lot of feedback, positive criticism, and regular appreciation.
Way number #5 - Make Use of Technology
Technology can help drivers find better routes, avoid traffic and stay up while driving for hours on end. It has also made it easier for them to keep in touch with their families, customers, and employers.
Technology has evolved so much in recent years. You could use it to optimize your shipments, track your fleets, manage your routes, and so much more. Technology can really help you run your business in the most efficient way possible.
Conclusion -
Truckers run the wheels of our economy. They are the ones out there on the road, pushing through, to get us our heart’s desires on demand. They are the ones ensuring that all essential supplies reach us safely and on time.
They are the ones making your business a business. So, practice these five ways to make sure that you never let them down, and that they never let you down either.
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